LECTURES TO CHILDREN: FAMILIARLT HiLUSTRATING IMPORTANT TRUTH, By rev. JOHN TODD, D. b. ACTHOR OF THB STUDENT'S MANUAL, STORIES ON TUB SHOETBR OATBCHISM, BV& NORTHAIilPTON : BRIDGMAN" AND CHILD S. NEW YORK: A. D. F. RAXDOLPn 8s CO. 1878. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1852, hf Hopkins, Bbidqmak, & Compant, tm Um Clerk's Office of the Diainct Court o( the liistriot of AxasaM.htuetUb PEIFCETOIT REC. NOV IBbO THEOLOGIC PREFACE TO THE ILLUSTRATED EDITION. This little work, after having passed through fifteer. editions in this country, and we know not how many in England, after having been translated into French, Ger- man, Greek, and many more languages, printed in raised letters for the blind, and last of all, having been adopted as a school-book for the liberated slaves at Sierra Leone, is now sent forth by the publishers in a new dress, with the addition of new Lectures. The only reason why the number was not much larger is, that we wish to keep it a little book for little folks. A whole generation has passed from childhood into manhood since these Lectures were first printed ; and though it claims to be only a very hum- ble instrument of usefulness, yet the author, from testimony which he has already received from many and various quar- ters, would rather want renown and fame among men, than to be without his hope that the mission of this little work has been one of good to the lambs of Christ's flock. PiTTSFiELD, October 1, 1852. PREFACE. In "rightly dividing the word,*' it is a difficult questi!>n to decide how and in what manner we can best meet the spirit of the command, ** Feed my Lambs." That children are a very important class in every congregation, all admit; that ministers owe them some peculiar duties, is equally plain ; and that they are a difficult part of the flock to feed, the ex- perience of every one, who has ever tried to do his duty to them, will testify. Says a profound thinker, and one of un- common knowledge of human nature,* ** Nothing is easier than to talk to children ; but to talk to them as they ought to be talked to, is the very last effi3rt of ability, v A man must have a vigorous imagination. 4 He must have extensive knowledge, to call in illustration from the four corners of the earth ; for he will make but little progress, but by illustration. It re- quires great genius, to throw the mind into the habits of children's minds. I aim at this, but I find it the utmost effort of ability. No sermon ever put my mind half so much on the stretch. I am surprised at nothing which Dr. Watt? • Cecil. Preface. did, but his Hymns for children. Other men could have written as well as he, in his other works ; but how he wrote these hymns, I know not." Happy that minister who can rightly divide the word of God to this portion of his flock. Should such an one take up this little volume, he will be very ready to excuse its defects, knowing how difficult it is to bring thought down to the comprehension of children. V" It is an easy thing to move the passions : a rude, blunt, illiterate attack may do this. But to form one new figure for the conveyance of the truth to the mind, is a difficult thing. The world is under no small obligation to the man who forms such a figure." The best way of preaching to children is to have them entirely alone — not an adult in the house. You can then come down to them, and can interest them. The next best way is to have all the children in the centre of the house, and the congregation above and around them ; and then let the speaker ybr^cf, if he can, that any body is present besides the children. This has been my method, at the close of the second service on the Sabbath. The congregation have had permission to retire, but have, to an individual, prefer* red to remain. Preface. I have usually delivered one of my " little Sermons " once in three months, supposing this to be no more, certainly, than the share of the lambs. The following Lectures are a selection from such as I have thus delivered to the children under my care. My language and illustrations may seem familiar and common-place ; but I have tried to talk in such a manner, that, on pausing several times, and asking my little bright audience what point had just been stated and illustrated, the child who could only lisp should usually be able to throw his voice in with the rest in answering. I have thought that a System of Theology, embracing all that we usually mean by the term, and containing a full, clear and condensed view of the doctrines of the Bible, might be prepared for children to great advantage. Nor am I cer- tain that such a series of volumes might not be as useful and as interesting to common readers as to children. It otight to be a Text-book of the great Doctrines of the Bible, for Sabbath Schools and the young generally. That I have thought of preparing such a work, is saying little, since I have not done it. Possibly, should Providence spare my life, and such a work be needed, I may, hereafter, attempt it. Preface. I have hoped that Parents and Sabbath School Teachers might receive some hints from this little volume which would aid them in the very difficult work of illustrating truth to children. For no teaching will do any good, unless so plain that it cannot be misunderstood, and so interesting that it cannot be forgotten. To the blessing of the Great Redeemer, I commend thia little book, and the dear children who may read it. Northampton, May 20, 1834. Note. — ^The unexpected fact, that the Publisher requests a revised copy for a new edition, in less than three weeks after the first edition was out, encourages the Author to hope that he has not misjudged as to the usefulness of this little work. June 7, 1834. CONTENTS. LECTURE I. INTRODUCTORY. Feed my lambs. — John 21. 15. **aRTY in the grove. Food cut fine. What will be done 1 Bad apple. Indian book. Twenty stags. Think right. Mind always I jinking. Ask questions. Two men in the Temple. Weeds in the garden. White rabbit. Is it sundown ? The regulator. What a little boy may be. The fairy and the diamond. A gem in the Saviour's crown. The rose trans planted. Children's drawer. More hereafter. LECTURE II. No HOW DO WE KNOW THERE IS ANY GOD T man hath seen God at any time. — John 1. 18. Why God called by this name. Paris and London. Did any body ever see God? The wind and trees. Any body ever see pain? Hunger. Love. Eyes put out and ears deaf. A child can think without eyes and ears. The watch in the case. Proof of God The meeting-house. What the meeting-house made for. A meetii)g-house built by chance! The silk- worm. The dead rabbit and birds The cow and horse seeing a painting. The mind is glad. The body is a house for the soul. The new book God made things. The rainbow, flowers, and fruits, made by God. God seen plainly. When ought a child to think of God ? The sincere wish. 10 ('oiitents. LECTURE III. PFPENTANCK FOR SLN. They loent out and preached that men shoula repent. — Mark 6. 12. A hard word used. The hard word explained. Nothing good without pay. Who need repentance, (.'hrit-t's ttslimony Great question.* Two kinds of money. Two trees. Stoky. The sick father. Little boy's false- hood. The tender look The dying father. Death arrived. The burial. Repentance at the grave. A few plain remarks. God not loved. The discontented boy — the storm— the Bible — his repentance. Who have sinned ? Stopping in sin. The Indian and his rum. Hands full. Con- clusion. LECTURE IV. ANGELS' JOY WHKN SINNERS REPENT. There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. — Luke 15. 10. Who ever saw an angel ? What anjrels do. Many ancels. How do they feel? Why they rejoice. First reason. Home. Whom have they seen 7 The poor boy. What is an eye worth ? What is the soul worth ? The second reason. The sick child The little boy drowning. The boy recovered. The brazen serpent. Three remarks. What people talk about. Piece of gold. What men love. Sleeping out of doors. Bitter medicine. The broken arm. The last remark. LECTURE V. WHAT FAITH IS, AND WHAT ITS USE IS. Without faith it is impossible to please him. — Heb. 11. 6. liCCture to be made plain. Different kinds of faith. The little girl who wat generous. Faith rewarded, and made plain. The glass beads. Faith in > 11 Contents. father. The storm at sea. Faith in God. Casting bread on the waters. Sowing rice. The old man and his son. The house of the slave. The mother's faith. Faith in Christ. Failing into the river. Faith leads to obey God — to do good. The dying mother. Faith comforts us. The dead boy's lantern. LECTURE VI. GOD WILL TAKE CARK OF US. Consider the lilies of the field ^ hoio they grow ; they toil nol^ neither do they spin. And yet I say unto ynu^ that even Solomon^ in all his glory ^ was not arrayed like one of these. —Matt. 6. 28, 29. How Christ preached. The rich man. God is very rich Hogshead of gold. Many cattle. Servants. Little boy and his sister Charge to angels, and beautiful illustration. The garden lily. The cold winter and the lily. The pond. Sermon by a lily. The poor heathen child. His lonely feel- ings. Comes to America. His death. Sailing of the missionaries. The hymn. The gospel received. The weeping mother. The ostrich in the wilderness. Sorrows to come. When will God be a friend ? LECTURE VIl. JESUS CHRIST TASTING DEATH Jesus — who J by the grace of God^ should taste death for every man. — Hkb. 2. 9. Figurative language. Fields smiling. The sea afraid. Meaning of the teat. How they used to put people to death. Socrates' death. Long row of prisoners. Christ drinking the cup of poison. Children of Israel. The court-house. The young prisoner. His plea. His home. His family. The parting. Killing his parents. The compassionate judge. The par- don. Christ died for ua All saved ? The hospital The house for au *he blind. Ottered to all. A question answered. Light for all. Watei 12 Contents. for all. Salvation of Christ free. A thing to be remembered. The story of the slave. The good man. The slave bought. Ingratitude. All men slaves. John Howard. Four things to be done. LECTURE VIII. CHRIST INTERCEDING FOR US. He ever livetli to make intercession. — Heb. 7. 25. The name of Washington. We all want a friend. The poor Indian and his child. Christ is such a friend as we need. Children's troubles. The three friends. The real friend. Story applied. Christ is the real friend. When most needed. The just king and his laws. Christ's manner of in- terceding. High treason. The wife and ten children. The pardon. How is Christ's intercession different ? The child in prison. The two brothers. Four things in Christ. He is worthy. He knows our wants. Ever lives. Never changes. The waters quench not his love. LECTURE IX. GIVING ACCOUNT TO GOD. Every one of us shall give account of himself to God. — Rom. 14. 12. Plaintext. The stranger. His account of himself How different from the account to God. The merchant. Account of one of these boys. Fields, horses, and plants, called to account. Tlie plant producing no flower. How a father feels. The house burned. The soul poisoned. The father's feel- ings over a murdered child. Every one must give account. How can children sin ? How much does a child sin 7 The little rattlesnake. What murder is. Anger. The Bible destroyed. The bones broken The Sabbath lost. The child killing people. Conscience. The fru't trees. The broken bowi. Three directions. The Roman emperor. 13 Contents. LECTURE X. GREAT EVENTS HANG ON LITTLE THINGS. A certain man drew a how at a venture. — 1 Kings 22. 34. The man and his bow and arrow. What an arrow can do. The subject stated. The ship-yard. The wormy stick. The leaky ship. The result. The child and the acorn. The oak. The result. The light-house re- moved. A little mistake. Ship and lives lost. Result. Great fires in the forest. Little boy playing with fire. The spark caught. The mother of Mohammed. The consequence. How it is with these children. What the subject teaches. The child did not tell a lie. The tongue. Company. Every day. The little stream. The last thing taught by this subject LECTURE XL FRAGMENTS ALL TO BE SAVED. Gather up the fragments that remain^ that nothing he lost, — John 6. 12. The goldsmith's shop. The mountains weighed. The stars named. The little gleaners. Christ feeding the multitude. Wrong to waste things. Wrong to waste money. The deep river. Brimstone matches. The ex- pensive drink. Hamilton's duel. Life wasted. The sailor's dream. The ring. The ring lost. Burning mountains. The ring recovered. The dream supposed to be true and real. Limbs lost. The Bible wasted. The mind ruined. Six things seen. The soul — the soul. LECTURE XII. THE SABBATH TO BE KEPT HOLY. Rememher the Sabhath day, to keep it holy. — Ex. 20. 8. i'lcture-books. Parables of Christ. A new parable. The offer. Th« wreck of the ship. The Life-Boat. The life-boat in use. The parable 14 Contents. explained. The foolish excuses. Who would be a thief? The poor beggar. The house broken open. Little thieves. What makes people poor. A strong reason. Storv by the author. Duty put off. The schoo) not together. The foolish superstition. What makes a man stupid 1 The corpse. Mill going on the Sabbath. Little boy crushed by the wheel. Sad thoughts. Scene remembered. Instruction. Poetry. Conclusion. LECTURE XIII. THE GRAVE LOSING ITS VICTORY. O grave, where is thy victory ? — 1 Cor. 15. 55, Vapor of morning. Garden-flowers. What is a buoy ? The drowning man clinging to the buoy. Morning after the storm. Who must die. The twins. Beautiful poetry. Who can die happy ? My si.>-ter's grave — and the two little boys. Reflections in a grave-yard. The soul lives after the body dies. The humming-bird. The island. The adventurer^his re- turn— his tidings — his death. Meaning of the story. The Christian's death. Angels' conversation. Beautiful description of heaven. Con elusion. LECTURE XIV. HEAVEN. In the beginning God created the heaven.- — Genesis I. 1. Shape of the earth. Inside of the world. High chimneys. Creating and forming things. Light first made. The three heavens. First heaven. Second and third heavens. Guiding the stars. Idea of the third heaven. Beautiful things. What a throne will be. Society of heaven. How they look in heaven. Why the berutiful things of earth not to be saved. Oui friends. Is heaven a place ? LECTURES TO CHILDREN. LECTURE I. INTRODUCTORY. Feed my lamhs. — John 21. 15, Contents. — Party in the grove. Food cut fine. What will be done ? BiJ apple. Indian book. Twenty stags. Think right. Mind always think- ing. Ask questions. Two men in the Temple. Weeds in the garden White rabbit. Is it sundown 1 The regulator. What a little boy may be. The fairy and the diamond. A gem in the Saviour's crown. The ^ose transplanted. Children's drawer. More hereafter. Children, suppose now that we and a great many more children were met in a beautiful grove on a bright, summer day. For some hours we ramble over the hills and climb the rocks, pluck the flowers around us and listen to the singing of the birds. We then come together in a very shady spot, where there is a cool spring of pure water. Here we find a long table spread and loaded with all manner of good things to eat 16 INTRODUCTORY. [Lect. I Food cut fine. Suppose, too, that I am the only grown-up person with all these children, and that I am wishing to see that they all have a good share of the things to eat. Should I do wrong, or do right, to go round and cut the bread and the meat for each child, and cut it so fine that each one could eat with comfort ? *' Right," you say, I should do right, and I ought to cut the meat very fine so that all might have a share. Well, then, when I come to feed the minds of children, instead of their mouths, ought I not to cut the food very fine ? I mean, ought I not to speak very plain, and to use such words as each child can under- stand ? " Yes," you say, " you should be very plain and easy to be understood." This, then, is the reason why I shall talk so plain, that every child, even that very little girl who has but just learned to read, can know what I mean. You know, children, that, when you see a man very busy with his tools, you think he is making something. You may not be able to see what il Lect. I.J INTRODUCTORY. 17 What will be done ? is, but the timber, and the chips cut off, and the tools about, and the man at hard work, all show jou that he wishes to make something. So if you had seen me when 1 took the sheet ot* pa- per out of my drawer, and began to write this little book of Lectures, jou would have supposed I had something which I wish to bring about. And so 1 have. There are four things 1 wish to do by these Lectures, — all for jour good, and all which will be done, if you will help me. Let me talk a few minutes about each of these four things. L / ivish to make you love to read, + Cattle, birds, and dogs cannot read. They have good eyes, and good ears, and good mouths and tongues, and yet they cannot read. Not so the child. He is created in the image and like- ness of God, and no wonder he can read. But you might go through an orchard that had a hundred trees in it, and yet not find more than a single tree that bore good fruit. So you might see a whole book-case filled with books, and not 2 18 INTRODUCTORY. [LKCt. I. Bad apple. more than one or two good books among them all. But a bad book is not like a bad apple. The bad apple tastes bad the moment you bite it ; but a bad book, like some poisonous fruits, may be pleasant while you eat it, but hurts you afterwards. How many pure and beautiful things may we read in a single little book ! A small box may contain a great many choice jewels ! For my part, when a child, and ever since, I have loved to meet a book, and always feel that I have met a friend. Once, when in the deep wilderness, 1 was on a river in a little boat. It was very far from any body. When we came to a place where the river was full of rocks, and where the water ran and dashed against the rocks, we knew we must carry the boat round through woods. Here we found a blind little path, where the Indians used to carry their canoes. We found that many years ago they had written a small book, contain- 'ng a history of their travels and hunting, and LzcT. 1 ] INTRODUCTORY. 21 Indian book. Twenty stags. left it here ! And what kind of a book do you suppose it was ? It was a part of a cedar hewn off, and then on the standing tree, with a piece of charcoal, they had made a picture of a canoe, with her front pointed doivn the river, to show which way they went. In the canoe was the picture of two Indians, each with a paddle in his hand, and a dog between them ; then below was a picture of a deer's head with great branching horns, to show that they had been hunting deer, and the number 20, to show that they had killed twenty bucks or stags in their hunt. This was the Indian book. But how little did it teach us! It showed that some time, a long time ago, two Indians had passed that way with their dog, and that in their hunt they hcid killed twenty stags. But it told us not who they were, where they had been, where going, or any valuable information. In a wilderness it was pleasant to read even such a poor book as that, but how much better to have good printed books full of good reading! Learn 22 INTRODUCTORY. [Lect. i Think right. to love to read when a child, and jou will have pleasures all the way through life. You will never find a rainy day tedious, nor a journey lonely, nor even a sick bed wearisome, if you can read. Books contain the best thoughts that men ever had, and when we open them, though the authors may be dead, yet we seem to hear their voices coming to us kind and pleasant, like far-off music at evening twilight. 2. / icish to teach you to think right. Children, have you never found a boy or a girl alone, talking to himself, or herself? And if you have, did you not notice that they stopped and were ashamed when discovered ? The reason vyas, that they were talking out their thoughts just as they rose up in the mind, and they knew these thoughts were foolish, if they had been repeating over the ten commandments, or even the multiplication table, they would not have felt ashamed. Now the mind of every child is always thinking ; but the thoughts are not of any value^ Uct. 1] INTRODUCTORY. 23 Mind always thinking. — they do not think to any good purpose. What 1 wish is, to teach you to think that wliich is of some use. You know a garden will l)ear weeds in great plenty, if we are not careful. It will soon all run to waste, if left to itself. So the mind will run to waste if not taught to think right. This is the reason why I ask you questions, and explain things, perhaps tell you little stories, and make comparisons, — so that you may learn to think right. If a man thinks wrong about God, or the Bi- ble, he will do wrong. If he thinks that God cares not what a man thinks, or feels, or says, or does, he will not care himself. If he thinks that the Bible can teach him nothing good, he will not read it. If he thinks he may he selfish and live only for himself, he will be likely to do so. Or if a man learns to let his thoughts run loose like a horse without bridle or halter, like the horse they will be of no use. "^I want you to be able to think quick, and hard, and correctly. Then you 24 INTRODUCTORV. [Lkct. 1 Ask questions. Two men in the Temple. will not onlj understand such books as jou read, but will enjoj them, and relish them the more .if they contain a great deal to make jou think. A boy sometimes goes away from home, and visits a factory, or a ship, or a coal-mine, or some such thing. He sees many new things. He remem- bers them all, and goes home and talks about them and asks questions about them. Just so I want you should learn to notice the new thoughts you find in this little book, and then that you talk them over, and ask questions about them till you understand them fully. Will you try to do it ? 3. / iva7it to teach you to feel right. Did you ever read a little story which Christ told of two men who went up to the great Tem- ple at Jerusalem to pray ? The story is veiy beautiful. One of them felt that he was good, and that he had nothing to do but to thank God that he was so much better tiian other people. " God," says he, *' 1 thank thee that I am not as other men ! " The other man felt that he was a UCT. 1.] IJSTRODUCTORY. 25 Weeds in the garden. poor, sinful creature. So he looked on the ground, and never lifted up his eyes, and struck his breast, and stood avvav oflf in a corner and said, *' God be merciful to me a sinner." (Luke 18. 13.) Now these men both felt, — but one felt right and the other wrong, and God looked upon them very differently. He blessed the humble man, and let the other go away in his pride and folly. So he always does. You know, children, that if a man neglects his garden, and does not sow good seed and take care of it, the garden will shortly be covered with weeds. Weeds grow naturally, but vines and good roots do not. Just so will wrong feelings come in and grow up in the heart of a child, un- less he takes pains to feel right. You must know when you feel right, and when you feel wrong. Perhaps you think you cannot tell. But let us see. Suppose a child is unwilling to obey his parents, and frets when told to do any thing, and either does not do it, or goes murmuring, — does 26 INTRODUCTORY. [Lect. I. White rabbit. Is it sundown ? he feel right or wrong? Suppose he wants what his parents feel will not be good for him, or what thej cannot afford to buy, and then he cries and frets, — does he feel right or wrong? Suppose a little boy sees another boy have a toy, or a white rabbit, and he wishes he had it, and wishes he could steal it and have nobody know it, — does he feel right or wrong ? A little boy once was told that he must not play because it was the Sabbath. He asked, When will the Sabbath end ? He was told, not till the sun was down. Then he thought, he wished the sun was down and the Sabbath gone, and he wished that God would not make any Sab- bath, and he wished that he could go out and play and nobody know it, — did he feel right or WTong? Now I want you to feel right at all times, in all places, and on all subjects. The reasons are three; — first, it will make you very happy; sec- ondly, it will make others very happy; and, third- ly, it will please God. Are not these reasons pla/n ones and good ones ? Lect. I.] INTRODUCTORY. 27 The regulator. 4. / wish to have you do right. Did you ever see the inside of a watch, chil- dren ? Well, there are wheels and iittle posts, and the like, and, among other things, there is a little fine spring, so small that it looks like a haii curled up. This little spring is called the regu- lator, because it regulates the watch. If it be drawn too tight, the watch goes too slow. If it be too loose, the watch goes too fast. It wants to be just right. The regulator wants to be reg- ulated. And there is in each of you something that does the work of that little spring. It is called the conscience; that which tells us when we do right and when we do wrong. The con- science is the regulator. But how shall we know when that is right ? I replj, by the Bible ; that will always tell us whether our conscience is too tight or too loose. A good book, like the Bible, will help you to have your conscience regulated and right ; and then you will act right, and do right. 28 INTRODUCTOFIY. [Lect. 1 What a little boy may be. I have seen little bojs at work in the corn- field, or in the garden, or at school. I could not tell what thej would become, or what they would do, in after life. But T have known some of them to grow up to be good and valuable farmers, some mechanics, some physicians, and some of them ministers of the Gospel. When I see a child, 1 never know what he will become ; but I know that he may become an angel in God's kingdom for ever, if he will be_good and do_good. And though I may not know the child that reads this little book, — perhaps shall never see him in this world, — jet I hope I shall hereafter see him in God's holy kingdom, with a crown of life on his head and a harp of gold in his hand. I have somewhere read the story of a fairy to whom was given a rough-looking stone to polish. She went to work and turned it over and over, and rubbed it and polished it, till it began to be smooth, then to be bright, and then to sparkle like fire, till at last from the rough stone she polished. UcT. l-l INTRODUCTORY. 29 The fairy and the diamond. and brought out a diamond such as would delight any kino; to wear in his crown. Had any one seen the fairy when she first began, he might have thought she was doins a useless and a foolish thing ; but who would not like to own such a gem after it is once polished ? The little child is like that rough stone. It might seem to some thai it is of little consequence whether he has any books, or what books they are ; but I know that every child may become like a polished diamond in the crown of the Lord Jesus Christ, — to be beautiful and glorious for ever. If I can do any thing towards polishing such a gem, ought I not to be anxious to do it ? And if I may do any part of this work by these Lectures, shall I not have reason to rejoice for ever ? These gems are to be among the glory of Jesus Christ in the day when he is crowned. " A babe into existence came, A feeble, helpless, suffering frame : 30 INTRODUCTORY. [Lect. 1 A gem in the Saviour's crown. It breathed below a little while, Then vanished like a tear, a smile. That springs and falls, that peers and parts, *' The joy, the grief, of loving hearts. The grave received the body dead, Where all that live must lay their head. Sank then the soul to dust and gloom. Worms and corruption, in the tomb ? No ! in ' the rainbow round the throne,' Caught up to paradise, it shone. And still it shines, until the day When heaven and earth shall pass away, And those that sleep in Jesus here With him in glory shall appear ; Then will that soul and body meet, And, when his jewels are complete, 'Midst countless millions, form a gem In the Redeemer's diadem ! " In the Bible, the fairest who die are called flowers ; and I have often looked into the coffin of the fair and beautiful child, and thought of imagery. I have often thought that Christ some- times treats the little child as a gardener would lect. i.j introductory. 31 'i'lie rose transplanted. Children's drawer. a rose. The little, beautiful rose hangs on its frail stem on the hill-side. The storm has beaten it down into the dirt, and it is soiled and injured. The gardener takes hold of it, shakes off the dust, and then pulls it up and transplants it into his garden, where he can nurse it, and shelter it, and cause it to grow and bloom. Thus heaven is called Paradise in the Bible, — as if it were a most beautiful garden, — where undying flowers shall blossom for ever. And thus Christ often seems to say to the beautiful little child, " Poor one ! the storms and the frosts and winds are too rough for thee here, — and so I will take thee up and place thee in my own garden above, where thou mayest live and bloom for ever and ever!" Shall I not, then, try to do what 1 can to make these flowers worthy the notice and the love of the great Redeemer? Sometimes, when I have done my day's work, I look into a particular drawer in which I keep such papers as I have begun to write something on 32 mTRO^:>^^CTORY. [Lect 1 More hereafter. to be printed ; and when I see a paper on which 1 have begun to write for children, I say to my- self, " See there ! I have not written a word* for children for a long time. Perhaps, if 1 should write, there is some little boy or some little girl, it may be far away among the mountains, or on the smooth prairie of the West, or in the crowded city, — some bright little child, — who would read what I should write, and thus I might speak to him though far away, and though I shall never see him! And perhaps what I shall say would be read and thought of when I am dead and gone, and thus I may be doing good for a long time to come ! " And then I shut the drawer and feel sorry that I have done no more for my little readers, and say to myself, ''I will do more here- after I " And I pray that I may not only do so, but that 1 may so write that I shall meet many of my little friends in heaven, and with them praise the Saviour for ever and ever! Amen. 33 LECTURE II. HOW no WE KNOW THERE IS ANY GOD T No man hath seen God at any time. — John 1. 18 CoBTENTS. — Why God called by this name. Paris and London. !>• any body ever see God I The wind and trees. Any body ever see uain t Hunger. Love. Eyes put out and ears deaf. A child can think vv.ihout eyes and ears. The watch in the case. Proof of God. The mtyctiag- house. What the meeting-house made for. A meeting-house bu..t by chance! The silk-worm. The dead rabbit and birds. The cow ^nd horse seeing a painting. The mind is glad. The body is ?. house for 'h* soul. The new book. God made things. The rainbow, flowers said fruits, miide by God. God seen plainly. When ought a child to think oi God. The sincere wish. Children have heard a great deal said abode God. Our forefatfiers, a great while ago, usrJ to call him '^tlie Goud.'^^ We shorten tlie word :» little, and call him God; but it means the saiiiH thing, — good. And they gave him that name he- 34. THERE IS A GOD. [Lect. 2 Paris and London. Did any body ever see (iod ? The wind and trees cause he is so good to men. but I am going to ask these children a question. How do } ou know there is any God? Have you ever seen him? No; for '' no man hath seen God at any time." Are we sure there are things in the world which we never saw ? Yes, a great many. You never saw Paris, or London; and yet you know there are such places. * How do you kuQw ? You know because others have been there and seen them. Now, suppose nobody had ever seen those cit- ies, could you know there were such cities ? No. How, then, do you know there is any God? Is it because the men who \ATottrHhe Bible say there is a God? But how do they know? They never saw God. Can we believe there is any thing which nobody ever saw? Yes, a great many things. Go to the window some cold day. Do you see the trees rocking, and the limbs swinging and bending, and the leaves all flying about ? \Vhat Leci. 2.1 THERE IS A (iOD. 35 Any body ever see pain T Hiir.ger. L« • « makes them do so ? Can any of you tell ? Yes, you all know, it is the ivind, blowing the trees. But can you see the wind ? No, but every body knows there is such a thing as the wind, thougii we cannot see it. Did you ever feel sick, so as to take medicine, and feel in great pain ? Yes. 1 suppose you all have. B^^ut which of these children ever saw the pain ? Did you hear it ? No. Did you smell it ? No. And yqu know there is such a thing as pain, thouo^h we cannot see it. ^ You all know there is such a thing as hunger. How do you know ? You never saw it, nor heard it, nor smelt it ; but you felt it. Suppose I should now say there is no such thing in the world' as love. Would it be true ? No. But why not? You never saw love. No, but you love your parents, and know by your feelings that there is such a thhig as love, though vou never saw it. 3 36 THERE is A GOD. [Lect. 2. Eyes [)ut out and ears deaf. A cliild can think without eyes or ears. Suppose one of these children should have both of his eyes put out, and be a blind little^ bov. He could still think. He could sit down and think how his home looked, how his father and mother looked. Suppose he should then Jose his hearing so as to be deaf. He could still think how the voice of his father and mother used to sound, wiien they spake pleasantly to him. Suppose he were then to lose his taste, so that he could not taste sweet things from sour. He could then sit down and think how food and fruit used to taste, and how he used to love them. Suppose, next, he were to lose his feeling, so as to be numb and cold. He could then think how things used to feel ; how an orange felt round, and a book felt flat. Yes, and if he were to lose eyes, and ears, and taste, and feeling, and smelling, all at once, he could still tell us how things used to be. The sun used to look bright and round, and so did the Lect. 2.] THERE IS A GOD. 37 The watch in the nase.. Proof of God. moon ; the rose and the pink used to smell sweet- ly, the flute to sound pleasantly, the honey to taste sweet, and the ice to feel cold. He could think all about these things. Novv, what is it that thinks ? It is the soul,-— 'the soul within you. How do you know that a 'watch-case has any watch in it? Because you ( hqar it tick, and see the pointers move. And just ^ so you know your body has a soul in it, because ^it thjnks, and moves your hand, and your eye, just as the watch within the case moves the pointers. But nobody ever saw the soul, i^ And yet we ' know we have a soul, because we see it do things. When you feel happy, the soul makes the face laugh; when the soul feels bad, it shows itself through the face, and perhaps makes the face cry When you feel wicked, it makes you cross, and speak wicked words, and disobey your parents, and disobey God. N nv, it is in just such ways we know there is ^> 38 THERE IS A GOD. [Lect. 2 Meeting-house. What the meeting-house made for ? a God. Just attend to what I am going to say, and see if I do not make it })lain, and prove ii all out to you, that there is a God, because ive see I hat he does tilings. You see this meeting-house. You see it is full of things which were planned out, and every thing in it planned for some use. Now, look. This pulpit with its stairs, and window, and seat — for what are they designed ? Why, the window is to let the light in, the seat for the preacher to sit down, and the stairs so that he can get into it ; and this place where 1 stand, that he may stand up so high as to be seen by all in the house. Those seats or pews were made for you to sit in, during the sermon, and all done off and numbered, o thrit each family might have their own pew, and know it. Those windows were made to let (he light in ; those posts to hold up the gallery, so that it might not fall on those who sit under it. Those doors are made to shut the noise and the Lect. 2.] THERE IS A GOD. 39 A meeling-house built by chance ! cold out, and those stoves to warm the house in winter, and the long pipes to carry off the smoke. That front gallery is for the singers to sit in and sing God's praises. Look now, and see if you can find any thing to play with. No. There is nothing. Of course, this house was not made to play in. See if you can see any thing to sleep on — any couch, or bed ? No, none. Of course, this house was not made to sleep in. It is all planned to be a place in which to worship God. Suppose, now, I should tell you this house was never built by any body ! It«ill grew up by chance, just as it is! The brick for the walls on the outside, and the roof on the top, grew just so, making this great square room, with its pews, and pulpit, and windows, and stoves, and every thing iust as it is ! It all grew so by chance ! Could you believe this ? No, you could not believe it. Why, vou would say, this house must be built by somebody. True. True. But tell me, did you 40 THERE IS A GOD. [Lect. 2 The silk-worm. ever see the man who made these bricks, and spread these walls ? No. Did you see the carpenter^who built these pews, and pulpit, and doors, and windows ? No. Did jou ever see the dass-maker who melted the sand and made this glass r No. Did you ever see the silk-weaver who wove this pulpit-curtain ? No. Or the man ^ who ' hammered out the iron and made those pipes? No, no. You never did, and yet you knbw that all these lived, because you see what they have done. And this is good proof. And it is in just such ways that we know there 'is a God; for .he made the clay, which had only ' to be altered by the fire, Snd it is brick. He . made the wood, which has only to be altered in it« shape, arid it becomes pews and seats. He made the iron, which had only to have its shape altere(J^by nielting, and it is these stoves. The sand<- which, he made has only to be melted, and Mt, becomes glass. He made the little s V r.icT 2.J THERE IS A GOD. 43 The dead ral)bit and birds. The cow and horse seeing a painting. worm which spun the silk of which this cushion was made. And he made the light to shine through these windows, and jour eyes to see it after it comes in, and your ears to hear voices and sounds. He made that mind of yours, so that it can understand what 1 say, and your memory so that you can lay it up and keep it, and talk it over . after you go home. I once saw a painting of a dead rabbit and some large birds. They looked just as if they were a real rabbit and real birds ; and a little dog, coming in, jumped up to catch them in his mouth, thinking they were real. Now, could any one doubt but a painter had been there, who made that picture ? No. Nor could any one doubt but there is a God, who made the rabbit and the birds. A painter once painted a large sheaf of wheat for a baker's sign. A cow came up, and mistook it for a real sheaf, and tried to eat it. And anothei painter painted a horse which looked so natural. 44 THERE IS A GOD. [Lect 2 The mind is glad. The body is a liouse for the soul. that another horse came up, and neighed to it, thmking it was a real horse. Suppose vou Ijad seen these pictures, and nobody near them ; would you not at once say, Somebody must have made those pictures? Yes; and when you see the wheat in the field, and the horse in the street, you know that somebody made them ; and that somebody is God. Why do you love to hear a new and curious story ? Is the ear pleased ? No. The ear feels no pleasure. Why do you love to see something that is new, and curious, and strange ? Is your eye made glad ? No. The eye knows nothing about it. But your mind feels glad, when you hear a pleasant story, or sweet music, and when you see a new sight. The mind is glad. But how came that curious mind within you ? Did it come there by chance ? No, no more than this house came here by chance. The body is the house. The soul lives in it ; and God has made the ear to let Lect. 2.] THfiRE IS A GOD. 45 The body is a house for the soul. sounds into the soul ; and the eye, so that light may go in as through a window ; and the tongue, so that the soul may speak out and tell its feel- ings; and the feet to' carry it about any where; and the hands to be servants, and dO any thing the soul wants done. And then the body needs food, and God has made it, the fire to cook it, and the teeth to chew it. it needs drink, and so he has made waiter, and the cow to give milk. It geis sick, apd so he has made medicines to cure it. It needs clothes, and so he has made the cotton grow out of the ground, the leather on the ox, the wool on the back of the sheep, and the worm to spin the silk. It needs tools, and so he has made the iron and lead, the silver and the gold, and the w()(»d. It needs to be warm, and so he has made and hung up the sun like a great fire to pour down his light and heat. The world is full of what God has done. Can you not see his doings every where ? 46 THERE IS A GOD. [Lect. Who made the » a'v book ? God made thing's. You see this little book in my hand. It is ful of leaves, and maps, and printing. It is a Testa «. Hicnt. Here are the chapters and verses all mark- ed out plainly and correctly. Every word and every letter is right. Now, you never saw the man who made this paper, nor the man who put up these types, nor the man who pressed the paper on the typt^s so exactly, nor the man who bound it all up hi this bright, red leather. And yet you know that such men were alive a short time since ; for the book was printed this year. You never will see these men, and yet you know they are alive some\^'here. Just so you know that God lives. For he made the cotton, which is here altered into paper ; he made the oil and the wood, w hich are burned to make this ink ; he made the skin of sheep, which is dressed, and colored, and is here in the shape of the morocco binding. God knew you would love to see the light, and Ltci 2.J THERE IS A GOD. 41 The rniiiliow, flowers and fruit made by Goil. SO he made the sun and the moon. He knew you would love to see beautiful thhigs, and so lie painted the rainbow in the dark clouds, and spread the green grass over the ground, and pen- cilled the flowers, and planted the trees, and hung apples on one tree, and plums on another, and grapes on the vine. He knew jou would love to hear sweet sounds, and so he gave your parents a pleasant voice, and filled the air with little birds, whose great business is to sing. He knew you would want houses and fires, and so he made the wood and the clay for the brick. He knew you would have reason, and yet not enough to lead you to heaven, and so he made the Bible. He knew you would have wicked hearts, and so he has given you the Sabbath, and the Saviour, and the Holy Spirit, to help you to be good. He knew you would want to live forever, and so he has made heaven, where you may live forever, and never die, if you are good and holy. 48 THERE IS A GOD. fLEcr 2 God seen plainly'. Poetry describes God. Who does not see that the world is full of the things that God has done ? I am sure I can no more doubt it than I can doubt that little hoy to liave eyes, when I see them both open and look- ing at me. I am sure I have no doubt that these children have souls, though I never saw their souls ; for I can see their eyes, and hands and limbs moved by their souls. And now, dear children, you see it all proved out to you that there is a great and glorious Being around you, always doing you good, whose name is God. Yes, ** There is an unseen Power around, Existing in the silent air : Where treadeth man, where space is found, Unheard, unknown, that Power is there. When sinks the pious Christian's soul, And scenes of horror daunt his eye, He hears it whispered through the air, A Power of mercy still is nigh. Lect. 2.] THERE IS A GOD 4S Wlien ought children to think of God ? The Power that watches, guides, defends. Till man becomes a lifeless sod, Till earth is noucrht, — nought earthlv friends,— That omnipresent Power — is God." Oughi not iiiese cnimren lo think oi ijod? To tliink of him when you go to bed at night, for he it is who has kept you safe and done you good all the day long, and then thank him for his good- ness ? Think of him in the morning, for it is he who has kept you, given you sleep and awaked you, and lifted up the great sun to shine upon you. Oh, pray that he will keep you from sinning all the day. You ought to think of him when you hear the pleasant and kind voice of your parents, for it is God who gave you these parents ; think of him when you are happy, for it is he who makes you happy. Think of him when you have sinned, or are about to sin, for he sees vou. Think of liim when you are sick, for he only can make you well, and keen you from being sick. Think of 50 THERE IS A GOD. [Lect. 2 The sincere wish. tiim on the Sabbath, for he gave it to you to fit you for heaven. Yes, he gave you every good thing you ever had, or ever can have, and even gave his dear Son to die for us. And now let me stop, after looking at each child before me, and repeating to each one this sincere wish of my heart — " Oh, be thy wealth an upright heart ; Thy strength, the sufferer's stay ; Thy earthly choice, the better pan, Which cannot fade away : Thy zeal for Christ, a quenchless fire; Thy friends, the men of peace; Thy heritage, an angel's lyre, When earthly changes cease." Amen. 51 LEG TURE III. REPENTANCE FOR SIN. They went out and preached that men should repent. — Mark 6. 13. Contents. — A hard word used. The hard word explained. Nothing good witiiout pay. Who need repentance. Christ's testimony. Great question. Two kinds of money. Two trees. Story. The sick father. Little boy's falsehood. Tlie tender look. The dying father. Death arrived. Tlie burial. Repentance at the grave. A few plain remarks. God not loved. The discontented boy — the storm — the Bible — his repentance. Who have siimed ? Stopping in sin. The Indian and his rum. Hands full. Conclusion Children, I am going to use a hard word, and I must tell vou what it means. The word is con- ditions. I would not use it if I did not think 1 could make it easy. Suppose a little child goes to school, and wants a new book. Her another says, " Well, Mary, if you will be perfect in your lessons and behavior for two whole weeks, i will buy the book for you." This is a condition, A little boy asks his father to let him ride. He tells him he may ride with him to-morrow, on the con- 52 REPENTANCE. [I.ect. 5 The hard word explained. dition, that he governs his temper and is a good boy all day to-day. , So every good thing in this world has some such condition, and for every thing we have some- thing to do. I will only name four things which have such conditions. 1. God has so ordered things, that any child shall grow up greatl} beloved and respected, on condition that he is kind and obedient to his par- ents and teachers, and kind and affectionate to every body. 2. God has so ordered things, that a man may be learned, on condition that he studies and reads, and wastes no time. 3. God has so ordered things, that medicine will frequently cure the sick man. But the con- dition is, that it must be carefully taken. 4. God has so ordered things, that any body may know all about God, and heaven, on condi- tion, that he faithfully reads the Bible, and prays Lect. 3 ] REPENTANCE. 5^ Nothing good without pay. Who need repentance. to God for the Holj Spirit, and obeys God in every thing. It is just so with every thing. Who would not laugh at the farmer who expected to raise corn, except on the condition that he plant, and hoe, and plant the right seed, and at the right time? That little boy cannot see his top spin round, except on a condition — that he do so.nething to make it go. That little girl, just beginning to talk, cannot learn a single letter, or take a single stitch with her needle, except on condition that she try to learn. No. You cannot rear a single beautiful flower so as to get one single blossom, without a condition. Now, the greatest good that God ever gave to us, is that eternal life which Christ bought for us by his own blood. No man ever became holy without a condition for him to fulfil. No man ever went to heaven without repentance. Job could not. David could not. Peter, and Paul, and John, could not. Not one of that great multitude 4 54 REPENTANCE. ILect. 3 Christ's testimony. Two kinds of money. who are now in heaven, went there without re- pentance. Christ i)reached this condition, and so did the apostles; so has every true preacher since. Not one sinner in this house, not one in this place, not one in this world, will ever go to heaven with- out repentance. If we knew just how many, and who would repent of sin, we should know just how many, and who would go to heaven. All must repent. Christ says, '' Except ye repent, yt shall all likewise perish^ So Paul says, " God now commandeth all men every ivhere to repeiit.^^ You cannot doubt who must repent — all must, every human being that has ever sinned. A very great question rises up here ; and thai is, WJiat is it to repent? You all know there are two kinds of money — the good, and the counterfeit. And a man might have a house full of the counterfeit, and yet he could not be said to have any money. It would do him no good. So there are two kinds of I.ECT. 3.] REPENTANCE. 55 Trees. Story to explain. repentance. One is good, and the other good foi nothing. They may not seem very different, just as two pieces of money may look alike, while one is good, and will buy things, and the other is good for nothing ; just as two trees may stand together, and look alike, while one produces good fruit, and the other nothing but leaves. But you want to know what it is to repent. Let me try to tell you. A man, who is now a minister of the gospel, gave me the following account. I tell it to you in order to show you what repentance is. "I had one of the kindest and best of fathers ; and when I was a little white-headed boy, about six years old, he used to carry me to school before him on his horse, to help me in my little plans, and always seemed trying to make me ha})py ; and he never seemed so hajipy himself as when making me happy. When I was six years old, he came home, one day, very sick. My mother, too, was sick ; 56 REPENTANCE. [Lect. 3 The sick father. Liiile boy's falscliood. and thus nobody but my two sisters could take care of my father. In a few days he was worse, very sick, and all the physicians in the region were called in to see him. The next Sabbath morning, early, he was evidently much w orse. As 1 went into the room, he stretched out his hand to me and said, ' My little boy, I am very sick. 1 wish you to take that paper on the stand, and run down to Mr. C.'s, and get me the medicine writ- ten on that paper.' I took the paper, and went to the apothecary's shop, as I had often done be- fore. It w^as about half a mile off; but when I got there, I found it shut ; and as Mr. C. lived a quarter of a mile farther off, I concluded not to go to find him. I then set out for home. On my way back, I contrived what to say. I knew how wick- ed it was to tell a lie, but one sin always leads to another. On going in to my father, 1 saw that he was in great pain ; and though pale and w^eak, 1 could see great drops of sweat standing on his Lect 3.1 REPENTANCE. The lender look. forehead, forced out by the pain. Oh, then I was sorry 1 had not gone and found the apothecary. A.t length he said to me, ' My son has got (he Tiedicine, I hope, for I am in great pain.' I hung iiy head, and muttered, for my conscience smote ne. ' No, sir, Mr. Carter says he has got none ! ' ' Has got none ! Is this possible ?^ He then cast a keen eye upon me, and seeing my head hang, and probably suspecting my falsehood, said, in the mild- est, kindest tone, ' Mi/ little hoy ivill see his father suffer great pain for the ivant of that medicine I ' 1 went out of the room, and alone, and cried. I was soon called back. My brothers had come, and were standing, — all the children were standing, round his bed, and he was committing my {)oor mother to their care, and giving them his last ad- vice. 1 was the youngest ; and when he laid his hand on my head, and told me *that in a few hours I should have no father ; that he would in a day or two be buried up; that 1 must now make 58 REPENTANCE. [Lect. 3 The dying father. God my father, love him, obey him, and always do right, and speak the truths because the eye of God is always upon me' — it seemed as if I should sink ; and when he laid his hand on my head again, and prayed for the blessing of God the Redeemer to rest upon me, ' soon to be a father- less orphan,' I dared not look at him, I felt so guilty. Sobbing, I rushed from his bed-side, and thought I wished I could die. They soon told me he could not speak. Oh, how much would I have given to go in and tell him that 1 had told a lie, and ask him once more to lay his hand on my head and forgive me ! I crept in once more, and heard the minister pray for ' the dying man.' Oh, how my heart ached ! I snatched my hat, and ran to the apothecary's house, and got the medicine. I ran home with all my might, and ran in, and ran up to my father's bed-side to confess my sin, crying out, 'O here, father' — but 1 was hushed ; and I then saw that he was nale, I.ECT. ai REPENTANCE. 5S Dqath arrived. The burial. and that all in tlie room were weeping. My clem father was dead ! And the last thhig \ ever spoke to him was to tell him a lie! 1 sobbed as if my heart would break ; for his kindnesses, his tender looks, and my own sin, all rushed upon my mind. And as 1 gazed upon his cold, pale face, and saw his eyes shut, and his lips closed, could I help thinking of his last words, ' My little boy will see his father suffer great pain for the want of thai medicine ' ? I could not know but he died for the want of it. "In a day or two, he was put into the ground and buried up. There were several ministers at the funeral, and each spoke kindly to me, but could not comfort me. Alas ! they knew not what a load of sorrow lay on my heart. They could not comfort me. My father was buried, and the children all scattered abroad; for my mother was too feeble to take care of them. " It was twelve years after this, while in college, 60 REPENTANCE. [Lect. 5 Repentance at the grave. A few plain remarks. that I went alone to the grave of my father. Ii took me a good while to find it; but there it was, with its humble tomb-stone ; and as I stood over it, I seemed to be back at his bed-side, to see his pale face, and hear his voice. Oh ! the thought of that sin and wickedness cut me to the heart. It seemed as worlds would not be too much to give, could I then only have called loud enough to have him hear me ask his forgiveness. But it was too late. He had been in the grave twelve years ; and 1 must live and die, weeping over that ungrateful falsehood. May God forgive me." Now, I wish to say two or three things about this little boy's repentance. 1. You see that a child may be wicked. He can sin against a father and against God at the same time. God commands us to obey our parents and to speak the truth. This child did neither. Uci. 3.] REPENTANCE. God not loved. 2. You see that a child is not too young to repent of a sin against his father. Some have an idea that a child is too young to repent; but this is a great mistake. If this boy could repent of this one sin, he could of more ; and if he could repent of a sin against an earthly father, could he not of those against his heavenly Father ? 3. You see what true repentance towards God is. It is to feel sorry and grieved that you have sinned against God, just as this child did, because he had sinned against his dying father. He did not grieve so because he was afraid of being punished, but because his father was so good to him, and he was so wicked agahist his father. Now, had he felt as sorry for each and all of his sins against God, as he did for this one sin against a man, it would have been true repentance. 4. You see that if we loved God as much as we do an earthly parent, we should repent deeply ; jecause he has done us ten thousand kindnesses, 62 REPENTANCE. [Lect. 3 The discontenled hoy. The storm. and is doing them every day, and because we have committed ten thousand sins against him more shameful than this shameful sin of the little boy. There was a wicked boy once, who would leave his father's home and go to sea. His kind father tried to persuade him not to go ; but he was not to be kept away from the sea. The reason was, he thought that he might be wicked when he got away from his father, and there would be nobody to reprove him. His weeping father gave him a Bible as he went away, and begged him to read it. The boy went away, and became very wicked, and very profane. But God saw him. There was a great storm upon the ocean. The ship could not stand against it. She struck upon the rocks in the dark night. It was a time of great distress ; — and for a few moments, there was the noise of the captain gi^ ing his orders, the howling of the storm, the cries of ^4i. Lect 3.J RErF.NTANCE. Gj 'I'he Bible. the poor sailors and passengers, who expected everv mon)ent to be drowned. Then this wicked boj wished himself at home. But he had but a few moments ; for a great wave came and lifted the ship up high, and then came down upon another rock, and she was shivered in a thousand pieces. Every soul on board was drowned, except this same wicked boy. By the mercy of God, he was washed and carried by the waves upon a great rock, so that he could creep up, much bruised and almost dead. In the morning, he was seen sitting on the rock with a book in his hand. It was his Bible, — the only thing, except his own life, which had been saved from the wreck. He opened it, and there, on the first leaf, was the hand-writing of his father! He thought of the goodness of that father, and of his own ingratitude, and he wej)t. Again he opened the book, and on every page was the hand-writing of his heavenly Father; and again he wept at the remembrancp 66 REPENTANCE. [Lkct. 3 His repentance. Who have sinned ? of his sins against God. His heart was broken. He was truly penitent ; and from that hour to this he has lived as a Christian. He is now the com- mander of a large ship, and seems to make it his great business to honor Jesus Christ. This was true repentance. But I must tell you, in a few words, why it is necessary for every one to repent of sin. 1 . Because all have sinned. I need not try to tell how many times. I might as well try to count the hairs on that little boy's head, who stands at that pew door and gives me all his looks while 1 am speaking. We all have sinned against our parents, by not obeying them and being kind to them ; we have sinned against the Sabbath, by not remembering to keep it holy ; against the Bible, by not loving it and not keeping its sayings; against conscience, which stands close to our heart, 3nd, like a sentinel keeping watch, cries out when we sin ; against the Holy Spirit, by not doing as Lkct 3] REPENTANCE. 67 Slopping in sin, he says, when he makes us feel solemn and sinful , and against God himself, whose commandments we break. Oh! our sins are like a great cloud. Did you ever see a cloud of dust or sand in a windy day? And could you count the little par- ticles of dust in it — all of them ? No, no. But our sins are quite as many. 2. None will forsake sin till they have repent- ed. You might stop a man from stealing by killing him or shutting him up in prison. But this would not stop his wishing to steal ; and that wishing, in the sight of God, is sin. One of these children might have his tongue cut out, so that he could not talk, and so that he could never again tell a lie ; but if he tJioxight a lie in his heart, this would be sin , and ciUting out his tongue would not stop his sininng. The Indians, some years ago, tried to stop their people from sinning ; and so they gave them strong emetics, in order to have them throw \\\i their sins ; but they did no good. The sin lis REPENTANCE. TLect. 5. Tlie Indian and his rum. was ill the heart, and not in the stomach. One of tliese Indians, who liad thus taken emetics, went to Pittsburgh, and bouglit a barrel of rum to sell to the other Indians. On his wav back, he called and heard the Moravian missionaries preach the gospel. *' He was so convinced of his sinful- ness and misery, that he resolved to alter his manner of life. He accordingly returned the barrel of rum to the trader at Pittsburgh, declaring that he would neither drink nor sell any more spirituous liquors, for it was against his conscience. He, therefore, begged him to take it back, adding, that, if he refused, he would pour it into the Ohio. The trader, as well as the w hite people who were present, was amazed, and assured him, that this was the first barrel of rum he had ever seen returned by an Indian : but he, at the same time, took it back, without further objection." Nothing but repentance would ever have led this Indian to do this. And this, and nothing but Uiis, \\ ill make any one leave off sin. Lkct. 3.] REPENTANCE. 69 Hands full. Conclusion 3. None will serve God unless they have first rcjjented of sin. Christ says that no man can serve two masters. Suppose a child has a large apple in each hand, and, without laying down either, she goes and tries to take up two large oranges. Could she do it.'^ No. Because her hands are already full. Just so, when the hean is full of sin, you cannot have the love of God in it. If you would stop sinning, my dear children you must repent of sin. If you would serve God, have him for your Father and Friend, you must repent. You all can do it. You all have been sorry when you have grieved your parents, and you can be sorry when you have offended and grieved your blessed Redeemer. Oh! if you will not, you will grow up sinners, live sinners, die sinners, and be sinners, accursed by God for ever and ever. Amen. 70 LECTURE IV. ANGELS' JOY VVIIEN SINNERS REPENl . lliere is joy in the presence of the angels of God over om sinner that repenteth. — Luke 15. 10. Contents. — Who ever saw an angel 1 What angels do. Many angels How do they feel ? Why they rejoice. First reason. Home. Whom have they seen ? The poor ' oy. What is an eye worth ? What is the soul worth? The second reason. The sick child. The little boy drowning. The boy recovered. Tiie brazen serpent. Three remarks. WTiat peoplp talk about. Piece of gold. What men love. Sleeping out of doors. Bit ter medicine. The broken arm. The last remark. Did any of these children ever see au angel ? No. Did 1 ever see one ? No. Did any body ever see an angel ? Yes. A great many have. Abraham did. Lot did. David did. Christ did. Peter and John did. And in the Bible you read of many who have seen angels. But though you never saw an angel, yet you all know what an angel is. ^Angels are good spir- its, who love God more than they love one anoth- Leci 4.] ANGELS' JOY. 71 What angels do. Man^ angels. er, and more than they love any thing else. They live in heaven. And what do you think they are doing there ? Idle, do you think ? No. They are never idle a moment. Sometimes God sends them away on errands, just as your paients send you. Sometimes they come down to this world to do good to good people here. When a good man dies, they stand by his bed, and carry his soul up to heaven, just as you are led by the hand w^hen you do not know the way. And though we cannot see them, yet I sup- pose some are here in this meeting-house now, seeing you and me, and looking to see ij' this sermon will do any good. What else do they do ? Why, if God has no errands on which to send them, then they sing his praises, and make music a thousand times sweeter than any which we ever heard. There are a great many of these angels in heaven ; — more than this house would hold, — 5 72 ANGELS' JOY. [Lect. 4. How do angels feel ? W'nj they rejoice. more than a thousand or a million of such meet- ing-houses would hold, if thej were all to be seat- ed just as you are. And, they are all happy. Because not one of them ever did wrong ; not one ever spake a cross or a wicked word ; not one of them ever told a lie ; not one of them ever sinned, or ever felt any kind of pain. And, what is very wonderful, they love us. They come down here, and when any body repents of sin, they tell of it in heaven, and they all rejoice and are glad. Now, just read this beautiful text again. " I say unto you, There is joy in the pres- ence of the angels of God ^ver one sinner that repenteth." Now, if 1 had told you this without first finding it in God's Book, you could not have !)elieved me. But now we know it must be so, because Christ hath told us so ; and he says, *' Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." I wish, now, my dear children, to tell you tw^o Lkct. 4.] ANGELS' JOY. 73 First reasoa. Home. plain reasons why the angels rejoice over every sinner who repents. 1 could give j om many more reasons, but am afraid you cannot rememuer more. 1. First, then, they rejoice when any one re- pents, because they know what heaven and hell are. Now, suppose I had never seen any one of you before ; and I should ask one of these little boys or girls about their home. You could tell me about it — where you eat, where you sleep, where you play, how you are kept warm in the cold weather, — how your parents take good care of you, — where you go to school, — how many ways your parents take to make you happy. You could tell me all about your home, and your garden, and all your pleasant things there, because you June always lived there. Just so of the angels. They have always liv- ed in heaven, and know how pleasant a place.it is. And when any one repents, the}' know he 74 ANGELS' JOY. [Lect. 4. Whom they have seen. The poor boy. will go to heaven, and be happy as they are. They have talked with good old Noah about the wicked world that was drowned in the floods when he, " humble, happy saint, Surrounded with the chosen few, Sat in the ark, secure from fear. And sang the grace that steered him through ! " They have talked with Abraham, and Joseph, and David, and Paul, and all the happy men in heav- en ; and they know that they are all happy, and so they rejoice when any one repents and sets out to go to heaven. Suppose you were to see a poor ragged boy, almost frozen with the cold, and who has no home, and no fire to warm him by; and no food to eat, and no bed to sleep on, and no friends to take care of him ; now, would you not be glad to have some kind man take that poor child in, and give him a good home like yours ? Yes. 1 know I.Kxi. 4.J AxXGELS' JOY. 75 NN'lial is an eye worth ? you would — 1 know jou would, because you know what it is to have a pleasant liome. Well, just so the blessed angels feel when any one re- I)ents, for they know God will take him to heaven. Children, what would you let any one take some heavy tool and crush your finger for ? For a dollar ? No. For ten ? No. But what would you have your arm cut off for ? For a hundred dollars? No. For all the playthings in the whole world ? No. For how much would you lose your reason, and be crazy ? For any thing in this world ? No. 1 know you would not. For how much would you have your eyes put out, so that you could never again see your friends, nor the beautiful light of the glorious sun ? Not for all the world. But, my dear children, the man who goes to hell because he will not repent of sin, is worse off than if he were to lose an arm, or his eyes ; yes, worse off than if he were to lose his reason, or be put into the fire, and 76 ANGELS' JOY. [Lect. 4 What is the soul worth ? 'Hie second reason. The sick child. kept burning all day, and all night, and a year, and ten thousand years. For he loses his soul, and has not a friend in heaven, nor any where else ; and, what is more, he never will have a friend. He is "covered with shame and ever- lasting contempt." The holy angels know all this, and rejoice when any sinner repents, and thus escapes the punishment of hell. This is the first reason. Can you remembei it.? 2. The second reason why angels rejoice over a sinner who repents, is, that till he does repent^ it is very uncertain whether he ever ivilL If one of you were sick, and laid on the bed, and were so sick that it was very uncertain whether you would live or die, your parents and friends would feel very anxious about you. They would come to your bed-side, and raise up your feeble head, and inquire about your pain, and send off for the physician, and would sit up with L«CT. 4.] ANGELS' JOY. 77 Tlie little boy drowning. you all night. Yes, and they would think more about their sick child, and feel more anxious about you, than about all the rest of the family, so long as it was uncertain whether or not you got well. And just so the angels feel, so long as it is un- certain whether or not a sinner repents. Turn now to the 12th chaj3ter of 2 Samuel, and see if David did not feel just so. As long as it was uncertain whether his child should live or die, he lay on the ground, and fasted and pray- ed. This uncertainty made him feel very anxious. Suppose one of your little brothers should fall into the river, and there sink down under the deep waters, and before he could be got out, he should grow cold, and pale, and seem to be dead. Your father takes the little boy in his arms, and carries him home, and then they wrap him up in warm flannels, and lay him on the bed. The doctor comes, and goes into the room with your fathtjr and mother, to see if it is possible to save 78 ANGELS' JOY. [Lect 4 The boy recovered. the little boy's life. The doctor says that nobody may go into the room but the parents. They go in, and shut the door, and in a (ew minutes the question is to be dei^ided, whether or not the child can live. Oh, then, how would you go to the door, and walk around ^v ith a step soft as velvet, and hearken to know whether the dear boy lives ! And after you had listened for some time, treading softly, and speaking in whispers, and breathing short, the door opens, and your mother comes out, and there are tears in her eyes ! Is he dead ? — says one, in a faint, sinking w^hisper — is he dead ? Oh, no — no — your little brother lives, and will be well again ! Oh, what a thrill of joy do you all feel ! What leaping up in glad- ness! Now, there is such a joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth. The sinner has been sick, but the gospel has been taken as the remedy, and he is to live forever. Do you wonder that the angels rejoice at it ? Leci 4.J ANGELS' JOY. 70 The brazen st-rpenl. Three remarks. Just turn to the 21st chapter of Nuinl)ers, and read the account of the healing of those who had been bitten by the fierj serpents. Had you been there, you might have seen parents carrying their little children who had been bitten, and who were just ready to die. The poison of the serpents is circulating through them, and they are almost gone. The mother brings up her child to the brazen serpent. Oh, how anxious is she, lest it has not got strength sufficient to look up ! How tenderly does she gaze upon its face, as she holds it up to the brazen serpent, waiting for it to open its eyes ! and what joy when it does look up and live ! So there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. I have now told you the two reasons why the holy angels rejoice when a sinner repents. I next wish you to hear three remarks. Will you remem- ber them — all three ? 1. Most men are not like the holy angels. 80 ^ ANGELS' JOY. [Lect. 4 What people talk about. Piere of gold. By being like the angels, I do not mean, that most men do not look like them ; for nobody looks like them. But I mean that they do not feel like them. You hear men talk every day. What do they talk about ? Why, about the weather, their health, their cattle, their crops, their farms, and their neighbors ; but very few say any thing about the repentance of sinners. \r Suppose one of you should repent to-day. I should be glad, and so would some others ; but the greater part of the people in this town would know nothing about it ; or, if they did, they would care nothing about it. Not so with the an- gels. They would all rejoice over it — would all know it. Suppose one of you should find a piece of gold, as you go home, as big as your fist. What a wonder! All the town would know of it, and talk about it, and call you a lucky child ; but the angels would care nothing about it — no, not if Lect. 4J ANGELS' JOY. 81 What men love. Sleeping out of doors. you should find gold enough to fill this house. You see why. Because they feel for your soul ; while most men think only of this world. And the reason is, men are sinners, and most of them love any thing better than repentance. If any one of you should repent to-day, I suppose many would laugh and sneer at it. But not an angel in heaven would laugh or sneer. You see, then, how it is, that the first remark is true, that most men are not like the holy angels. 2. My second remark is, that ive cannot go to heaven without repenting of sin. If a man could go to heaven without repenting of sin, then nobody would need to repent; and ii any one did repent, he would be doing what was not needful. And if so, then the angels would rejoice to see men do what they need not do ! Suppose I should say to you to-day, that, in order to meet God on the Sabbath, and receive God's blessing, you must sleep out on the ground S2 ANCifELS* JOY. [Lect. 4. Bluer medicine. The broken arm. all Saturday night, wet or cold, sick or well. Suppose you do it, and i rejoice to see you do it. Now, if this be not necessary in order to receive God's blessing, then it would be cruel in me to wish to see you doing it. You know, when you are sick, your parents rejoice to see you swallow, cheerfully, the bitter medicine, because you cannot get well without taking it ; but if you could get well just as well without, your parents would never rejoice to see you take it. Now, repentance is disliked as much as medicine is ; and if we could go to heaven without it, the holy angels would not rejoice to see us repenthig. Suppose, in going home to-day, one of you should break his arm so dreadfully that it must be cut off, or else you die ; and I should call and see you to-morrow, and should find the doctor there, with his sharp tools all out, ready to cut the arm off,.! should rejoice to have it cut off! And why ^ Lect. 4.] ANGELS' JOY. S'A The last remark. Not, my dear children, because 1 should love tc see you suffer, or lose your arm ; but because your life could not be saved without. And thus yon see why the angels rejoice so much over one w ho repents. It is because none can go to heaven without repentance. 3. My third and last remark is, that you vill all be very wicked if you do not repent im- mediately. And why ? Because you are all sinners ; and because I have read to you Christ's words, how that the angels would rejoice at it, and have told you ivhy they would rejoice. No one is too young to sin, and so it is plain that no one is too young to repent. Because, too, that if you do not repent, you cannot go to heaven. You can play, you may grow up, you may learn your books, you may become rich, if God spares your lives; and may do all this without repentance. But you cannot 84 ANGELS' JOY. [Lect. 4. The last remark. go to heaven without. You cannot begin to go, till jou have a new heart. And now, when jou are riding or walking heme, not knowing that you will live to see another Sabbath ; when you see the sun go down to-day, not knowing as you will live to see him ri>e; as you lie down to sleep to-night, not knowing that you will ever open your eyes again in this world, — will you not remember what 1 have now told you, and go before God and repent ! Oh, if you wiii, there will be joy in heaven i ^er e ; you may buy a lun^k. and z'.^'p to your Lkct. 5.] FATTH AND ITS USES. 87 Faith rewarded and made plain. father, and ^^o withonl yourself, or you may buy one for yourself, and I will go without. Do just as you please." The little girl hung her head, and looked at the new hooks; but then she thought of what her father had said about being generous, and she had fait/i in his words. She quickly said, " I will go without, and father shall have the book." The book was therefore bought. And the child felt happy, because she had believ- ed her father, and because she had been gener- ous. The bookseller, however, overheard the conversation, and was so much pleased at seeing the faith and the generosity of the little girl, that he gave her a very beautiful book. This was having faith in a father. But this is not the kind spoken of in the Bible. For a child might believe a father, and have a strong faith in him, and yet be, towards God, a very wicked child. Mr. Cecil gives us a beautiful account of the 6. 88 FAITH AND ITS USES [Lkct. 5 The glass beads. manner in which he taught his little daughter what is meant by f^iith. " She was playing one day Avith a few beads, which seemed to delight her wonderfully. Her whole soul was absorbed in her beads. I said, " ' My dear, you have some pretty beads there.' " * Yes, papa.' " ' And you seem to be vastly pleased with them.' " ' Yes, papa.' " ' Well, now, throw them behind the fire.' " The tears started into her eyes. She look- tjd earnestly at me, as though she ought to have a reason for such a cruel sacrifice. " ' Well, my dear, do as you please ; but you know I never told you to do any thing which I did not think would be good for you.' '' She looked at me a few moments longer, and then — summoning up all her fortitude — her breast heaving with the effort — she dashed them into the fire. Lfct 5.1 FAITH AND ITS USES. 89 Faith in a father. " ' Well,' said I ; * there let them lie ^ you shall hear more about them another time ; but say no more about them now.' " Some days after, 1 bought her a box full of larger beads, and toys of the same kind. When I returned home, I oy)ened the treasure, and set it before her ; she burst into tears of ecstasy. * Those, my child,' said I, 'are yours; because you believed me, when 1 told you it would be better for you to throw those two or three paltry beads behind the fire. Now, that has brought you this treasure. But now, my dear, remember, as long as you live, what faith is. You threw your beads away when I bid you, because you had faith in me, that I never advised you but for your good. Put the same confidence in God Believe every thing he says in his Word. Wheth er you understand it or not, have faith in him that he means your good.' " This, too, was faith in a father ; but the little girl misht hnvp had it, even if she had been a 90 FAITH AND ITS USES. [Lect. 5 The storm at sea. heathen child. It was not the faith required in the Bible, because it was not faith in God himself. I will now tell you what is faith in the care of God. A lady and her husband were standing on the deck of a ship during an awful storm. The winds howled, and the ship was tossed like a feather over the great waves. The lady had to hold on with both hands to keep from falling. She was very much frightened, and asked her husband if he was not afraid. He said nothing, but, in a moment after, he held a naked sword with its point close to her breast, and asked her, "Are you not afraid ?" "No." " Why not ? Do you see this sword within an inch of your heart ? " " Yes, but I am not afraid, for it is my hus- band w^ho holds it !" "Yes," said he, "and it is my heavenly Fa- .her/v^ho holds this storm in his hand, the winds Lect. 5] FAITH AND ITS USE.S. 91 F\iilli in (tod. rastinsr lircad on ihp \v;iicrs and the wav es ; and why should I be afraid ? No, I am not afraid ! " This was faith in the care of God. God was pleased with it. Now see. Was not the gentleman pleased to see that his wife had so much faith in his love as not to be afraid, though he held a drawn sword to her heart ? Yes, he must have been pleased. And so was God pleased to see him put so much faith in his care, when the storm w^as raging, and the ship seemed like being destroyed. The Bible tells us to "cast our bread upon the w^aters, and we shall find it after many days." Let us see what this text means. Rice is the food most used in the Eastern countries, espe- cially in Egypt, even to this day. Every year, when the snows all melt off the mountains, the river Nile rises up high, and overflows its banks, and covers all the country round it with waters. The people set down stakes, every man in his own land, before the waters come. And when 92 FAITH AND ITS USES [Lect 5. Sowing rice. the Nile has risen, and all the ground is covered with waters, they go out in their little boats, and sow, or cast their rice upon the waters. The rice sinks down, and sticks in the mud beneath ; and when the waters are gone, they find it has taken root and sprouted, and it grows up, and gives them a harvest. This is casting their bread upon the waters, and finding it after many days. Here is one kind of faith. The man who sows the rice, believes that it will sink, that the waters will go off in due time, and that he shall come out and find his rice growing. This is a kind of faith in the Providence of God. But, you know, this is not the faith required in the Bible, because a very wicked man has faith to plant and sow, expecting to get a harvest, though he forgets that God must make every blade to grow, if it does grow. Thousands have had this kind of faith, but it did not make them good ^nd holy. Lect. 5.] FAITH AND ITS USES. 9*3 The old man and his son. Now, let me show you what faith in God is, — such a faith as will please God. There was once a man to whom God spake, and told him to leave his home, his town, and his country, and go off into a strange land, and live under a tent, and never again have a home. The man asked no reasons, but obeyed. After this, he had a son, his only son. God told him that this son should live and grow up, and should be the forefather of great nations, millions of peo- ple. But after this, God told this man to go and take this boy of his, and take his life, and burn up his body with fire. God gave him no reasons for this direction. The good man prepared to obey. He got the wood ready to burn the body of his dear child ; he bound his hands and feet, and put out his hand, and took the knife with which to take his life. God then told him not to do it, but to take a ram which he would find close by, and kill him. This was faith in God ; for Abraham (for that was his name, and you 94 FAITH AND ITS USES. [Lect. 5 The house of the slave. will find the whole account in the 22d chapter of Genesis) obeyed God, because he believed God w^as wise, and holy, and good, though he could not understand why he told him to do this. Suppose you had lived while the children of Israel lived in Egypt. And suppose you had walk- ed out some pleasant day, just at night, down to- wards the river. Look, now, and see what is be- fore you. Yonder is a cluster of tall trees, and just under them is a little cottage or hovel. They are poor folks who live there. See, the house is small, and has no paint on it, no windows, nothing about it that looks comfortable. This hovel is the home of slaves. The man and the woman are poor slaves. But just look in. ^What is that wo- man doing ? See her weaving a little basket with rushes, which she has gathered from the banks of the liver. See ! she weeps as she twists every flag ; and, by the moving of her lips, you see that she is praying. She has finished it. Now, watch Uer Do you see her go to the corner of the Lect. :..] FAITH AND ITS USES. 95* Tlie mollier's faith. Failli in Jesuss Ciirisi. room, and there kneel down, and weej), and pray over a beautiful little boy ? See lier embrace and kiss him. Now she lays him in the little basket; now she calls her little daughter, and tells her to take her little brother, and carry him, and lay him down by the cold river's side ! There ! now she takes the last look of her sweet babe ; now she goes back weeping into the house, and lifting her heart to God in prayer, while her daughter goes, and carries her dear boy, and leaves him on the bank of the river. What will become of him? Will the crocodiles eat him up? or will the waters carry him off and drown him ? No, no. That poor mother has faith in God ; and God will take care of her son. The king's daughter will find him, and save him ; and that little in- fant is to be Moses, the leader of Israel, the prophet of God, and the writer of much of the Bible ! This was true faith in God. Faith in Jesus Christ is a strong belief in him ; such a belief as will lead us to obey his commands. 96 FAITH AND ITS USES. [Lect. 6 Falling: into the river. We beli(3ve there was such a being on earth once as Christ ; that he did the miracles told of in the Testament ; that he was holy ; that he spake the words and the sermons told of in the Testament, as coming from him ; that he died for sinners, and rose from the dead, and is gone to heaven, and now lives there, and is doing good to his people. We believe all that is told us about him in the Bible. And if this belief or faith is good for any thing, it will cause us to love to read the Bible, to obey Christ, to love him and to serve him, because he will reward his people forever beyond the grave, and punish those who do not obey him. Suppose, as a good old writer says, you should fall into a river, which was deep, and where the watt r ran swiftly, and you were almost drowned ; and a man should run to the bank of the river, and call to you, and throw you a rope. This would be just like our Saviour. We are all perishing in the "deep waters" of sin; and Christ throws us the rope, and calls to us to take hold of it. But L«cT. 51 FAITH, AND ITS USEb. 97 Faith leads to obey God. it will all do no good unless we take hold of it. Now, this taking hold of the rope is faith. Faith makes us take hold of Christ, just as you would take hold of the rope, when drowning. He draws us from the deep waters ; and when he has done it, we love him, we thank him, and we obey him. But I wish to tell you, in a few words, what good faith doos us. 1. It makes us obey and serve God. No one will serve God by leaving ofif sin and doing his will, unless he has faith to believe that he will rewa»*d all who are good, and j)unish all who remain wicked. Who would get any good from the Bible, if they have not faith in it ? Who would try to govern the temper, the tongue, the words, and the thoughts, if they did not believe that God will bring every secret thing unto judg- ment? No one. But if we believe what God has told us in his Word, we shall be very careful to do what God commands us to do. The sailor goes away on the great waters, and works hard 98 FAITH AND ITS USES. |Lect. 5 Faith leads us to do good. and faithfully, because he has faith to believe the captain will pay him. So we must have faith in the promises of God, if we would serve him and please him. 2. Faith makes us do good. The apostles went every where preaching the gospel, though they were hated, and stoned, and put in prison, and put to death, because they be- lieved God, and had faith in his Word, that who- ever will repent, and love Christ, shall be saved ; and whoever will not, shall be lost forever. It is the faith which led them to endure such sufferings, that leads good men now to go to the heathen, and preach to them, and die among them. It is faith in God that leads good men to preach, to have Bible Societies, and to make great efforts, and take great pains, to have all men every where know, and believe, and obey the Bible. It is this faith wliich leads the praying mother to come to the bed of her little child, and hear him say his Lect. 5] FAITH AND ITS USES. 99 The dying mother. prayers before he shuts his eyes in sleep. It is faith that comforts the dying mother as she leaves this world, and leaves her dear children behind without any mother. I once visited a dying mother, who had this faith in Christ; and after she had called her children around her bod, and had taken each one by the hand, and had given each her advice and her blessing, and had bidden them farewell, and was then too much exhausted to speak aloud, *• She made a sign To bring her babe ; 'twas brought, and by her placed. She looked upon its face, that neither smiled Nor wept, nor knew who gazed upon it ; and laid Her hand upon its little breast, and sought For it — with look that seemed to penetrate The heavens — unutterable blessings — such As God to dying parents only granted For infants left behind them in the world. * God bless my child! ' we heard her say, and hen id No more. The an^el of the covenant 100 FAITH AND ITS USES. [Lect. 5. Failh comforts us. Was come ; and, faithfal to his promise, stood, Prepared to walk with her through death's dark vale. And now her eyes grew bright, and brighter still, — Too bright for ours to look upon, suffused With many tears, — and closed without a cloud. \They set as sets the morning star, which goes iNot down behind the darkened west, nor hides {Obscured among the tempests of the sky, — But melts away into the light of heaven ! " 3. Faith comforts us, and holds us up, in the time of trouble. There are many times \\ hen we can have no help from any human friend. None but God can aid us. It was so with Noah, when the ark floated upon the great waters, and nobody but God could roll off these waters, and make the dry land ap- pear. It was so with Daniel, when thrown among the fierce lions, and nobody could shut their mouths but God. It is so with every dying Chris- tian, whether he dies at home among his friends, or Lect. 5] FAITH AND ITS USES. 101 The dead boy's lantern. away from home among strangers, or alone where no one is with him. See what faith can do for a child, and in the most awful situation : — "By a sudden burst of water into one of the Newcastle collieries, thirty-five men and forty-one lads were driven into a distant part of the pit, from which there was no possibility of return, until the water should be drawn off. While this was ef- fecting, though all possible means were used, the whole number died, from starvation or suffocation. When the bodies were drawn up from the pit, seven of the youth were discovered in a cavern separate from the rest. Among these was one, of peculiar- ly moral and religious habits, whose daily reading the Sacred Scriptures to his widowed motlier, when he came up from his labors, had formed the solace of her lonely condition. After his funeral, a sympathizing friend of the neglected poor went to visit her; and while the mother showed him, us a relic of her son, his Bible, worn and soiled 102 FAITH AND ITS USES. [Lfct. 5 The dead boy's lantern. with constant perusal, he happened to cast his eyes on a candle-box, with which, as a miner, he 'lad been furnished, and which had been brought up from the pit with him : and there he discover- ed the follovvhig affecting record of the filial affec- tion and steadfast piety oi' the youth. In the dark- ness of the suffocating pit, with a bit of pointed iron, he had engraved on the box his last message to his mother, in these words: — '^ ' Fret not, my Dear Mother,— -for we loere sinking and praising God while we had time. Mother, follow God more than I did, Joseph, he a good lad to God and mother.^ " This w^as faith ; and, oh, what comfort did it give this poor boy in the hour of dying ! and what comfort to the poor widow, as she wept over hei dear son ! May you, dear children, all have such a faith. Amen. 103 LECTURE VI. GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF US. Consider the lilies of the fields how they grow; they toil not^ neither do they spin. And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one oj these.— Matt. 6. 28, 29. Contents. — How Christ preached. The rich man. God is very rich. Hogshead of gold. Many cattle. Servants. Little boy and his sister. Charge to angels, and beautiful illustration. The garden lily. The cold winter and the lily. The pond. Sermon by a lily. The poor heathen child. His lonely feelings. Comes to America. His death. Sailing of the missionaries. The hymn. The gospel received. The weeping mother. The ostrich in the wilderness. Sorrows to come. When will God be a friend? Our Saviour used to preach any where, and overy where, as he met with those who wanted to hear him. Sometimes he sat down on the ground, and sometimes sat in the boat on the water, and sometimes stood in the great temple and preached. He used to be very plain, and easy to be under- stood. ^He would have preached finely to chil- 7 104 GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF US. [Lect. 6. The rich man. dren ; and if he were now to speak to all these children before me, I do not believe there is a sin- gle one who would not understand all he should say. And yet it is possible, if any one wants to do so, to misunderstand even the Saviour himself. Now see. Suppose a lazy boy should read over my text, and then say, that Christ teaches us that God takes care of the lilies, though they do no work, and, therefore, we need not work, and he will take care of us in our idleness. This would be to make the Bible favor our sins ; but the Bible never does that. Suppose you should go '^nd visit a man who was so rich that he had his trees covered with silk of the most beautiful colors, and even his most ugly looking creatures covered with gold and sil- ver, and adorned by the most curious art ! Would you not think him a rich man ? And if he were known to be a good man, and true to his word, and he should tell you that he would be your friend, Lkct. 6.] GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF U3. 105 God is very rich. Hogshead of gold. and always take care of you, would you have an} fear but he would do it ? God is richer than all this. *^ He is so rich that he can put more of what is beautiful upon a single lily or tulip, than the great king Solomon could put on all his clothing. The hoarse, homely peacock carries more that is beautiful upon his tail than the richest king could ever show. And even the poor butterfly, which is to live but a few hours, has a more glorious dress than the proudest, rich- est man that ever lived God can afford to dress this poor worm up so, because he is rich. If, then, he can afford to take such care of the lilies, the birds, and insects, and to make them more beau- tiful than man can ever be, will he not take care of us, if we obey him ? Suppose you had a rich father — so rich that he had a hogshead full of gold, and a great barn full of silver. Do you think that, if you were to be a good child, he would ever refuse to take care of you ? But God has more gold and silver laid up ^ 06 GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF US. [Lect. 6 Many cattle Servants. m the ground, which men have not jet dug up, than would make a mountain — it may be a hun- dred mountains. Can he not take care of jou ? Suppose jour father had more oxen, and horses, and cattle, than jou could count over in a daj, or m a week. Would he not be able to take care of his child, and give him every thing he needs .^ Yes. But God has "cattle upon ten thousand hills," and *' ever j beast of the forest" is his, and his are '^ all the fowls of the air !" Can he not give jou food from all these cattle, and clothe you, and give you beds from the feathers of all these fowls ? Yes, he is able to do it all. Suppose your father was so rich that he had ten thousand men at work for him every day, all at work, and all paid to their mind, and all happy m working for him. Would you have any fears but he could take care of you, and do you good ? But God has more servants than these. He has all the good people on earth in his employment, and all the angels in heaven. He pays them all LEtr. 6.] GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF US 109 Lillle boy aiul liis sister. And if you need any thing, he can send one, or a uiiUion of these his servants to you, to help you. A little boy asked his mother to let him lead his little sister out on the green grass. She had just begun to run alone, and could not step over any thing that lay in the w^ay. His mother told him he might lead out the little girl, but charged him not to let her fall. I found them at play, very happy, in the field. I said, "You seem very happy, George. Is this your sister ? " "Yes, sir." " Can she walk, alone ? " "Yes, sir, on smooth ground." " And how did she get over these stones, which lie between us and the house ? " '• O, sir, mother charged me to be careful thai she did not fall, and so I put my hands under her arms, and lifted her up when she came to a stone, so that she need not hit her little foot against it." 110 GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF US. [Lect. 6 Charge to angels, and beautiful illustration. The garden lily **That is right, George. And I want to tell vou one thing. You see now how to understand ihat beautiful text, * He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.' God charges his angels to lead and lift good people over difficulties, just IS you have lifted little Anne over these stones. Do you understand it now ? " " O yes, sir, and I shall never forget it while I live." Can one child thus take care of another, and cannot God take care of those who put their trust in him ? Surely he can ; and there is not a child among you here to-day, over whom he is not ready to give his holy angels charge. Did you never see the lily as it stands in the garden in the summer? God sends it the pure sunshine, and it seems to rejoice in his warm beams. He sends it the cooling dews, and it seems to drink in their sweetness like Lkct. 6] GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF US. Ill 'I'he cold winter and ihe lily. milk. The clouds gather, the storm rnges, the rains pour down, the winds sweep along. See ! the lily has shut up its blossom, and folded its leaves, and meekly bows its head, and bends to the wind, and asks no eye to gaze on it, while the storm lasts. God has taught it to do thus, till the smile shall again follow the tempest. It is not injured. It opens and smiles again. So does God teach the good. The Christian thus rejoices when blessed ; and when troubles and sorrows come, he meekly bows and waits till God remembers him and removes the storm. You have seen the lily, in the fall, when the frosts came, drop its head, and droop, and die. The stalk on which the sweet flower waved all summer, is gone, and the spot where it stood is forgotten. But see the care of God for that lily. The cold winter goes past, the sunshine of spring returns, the young buds swell and open, and the lily, which has only been sleeping in the ground, 112 GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF US. [Leci o. The pond lily. puts up its meek head, and rises again to beautj and glory. God takes care of the frail, beautiful plant, and will not let it perish forever. So you have seen the beautiful little child, which stood, like the flower in the garden, struck down by sickness, and cut down by death, and laid in the little grave. But God will take care of it. The long winter will be over; and though that dear child is forgotten by every body on earth, yet it is not forgotten by God. There is a day coming when God will come down from heaven, and send his angel to call this child from the long sleep of the grave, and it will come up from the ground fair and glorious on the morning of the great day. Do you ask how it can be ? Let me ask you one question. Did you ever see a pond covered over with hard ice, thick and cold, all the long winter? Well, the spring comes, and the ice melts away, and the lily-seed, which has so long been sleeping Lect. 6.] GOD WILL TAKE CARE Ol' US. 113 Sermon by a lily. in the mud at the bottom of the pond, springs up, and shoots up, and opens its beautiful white flower, on the top of the smooth water, and seems to smile as it looks up towards heaven. How is this done ? By the care and the power of that God who watches over all his works, and who will take care of the flower-seed, and of the im- mortal spirit of every child. While too many people, who know about God, seem to live, day after day, for years, without lov- ing, or obeying, or even speaking of God, you can almost hear the lily speak, as if preaching, and say, — " I acknowledge the presence of God, my Maker. When he passes by me on the soft wings of the breeze, I wave my head as he passes ; when he rides on the whirlwind or the storm, I bow and tremble ; when he draws over me the curtains of the night, I feel safe, and go to sleep ; when he opens upon me the eye of morning, J 114 GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF US. [Lect. 6. The poor heathen child. wake up, and drink in the fresh beams of his sun ; and when he sends his chilling frosts, I let my frail body perish, and hide myself in the ground, knowing that he will again raise me up to life and beauty ! " Some years ago, there was a poor child left alone, at the death of his parents, in a distant island of the ocean. His people were all heathen, wicked people. His father and mother were killed in a cruel war. Now, see how God takes care of his creatures. Let us hear his own ac- count of the thing. *' At the death of my parents, I was with them ; I saw them killed with a bayo- net— and >vith them my little brother, not more than two or three months old — so that I was left alone without father or mother in this wilderness world. Poor boy, thought 1 within myself, after they were gone, are there any father or mother of mine at home, that I may go and find them at horn*;.^ No; poor boy am I. And while I was Lect 6.] GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF US. 115 His lonely ffeliiigs. Comes to America. at play with other children, after we had made an end of playing, they return to their parents, — bui 1 was returned into tears, — for I have no home, neither father nor mother. I was now brought away from my home to a stranger place, and 1 thought of nothing more but want of father or mother, and to cry day and night. While I was with my uncle, for some time I began to think about leaving that country, to go to some othei part of the globe. I thought to myself that if 1 should get away, and go to some other country, probably I may find some comfort, more than to live there, without father and mother." This poor boy, thus left, an orphan, in a hea- th.m country, was under the care of God. He ielt the island, and came to this country. Here he found kind friends, who took care of him, and taught him to read and write, and who took great pains to teach him about God and about Jesus Christ. He became a true Christian, and a deiT youth he was. He wanted to go back to 116 GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF US. [Leci.6. His death. The sailing of the missionaries. liis country, to tell his people about God and Jesus; but just as he had gotten his education, and was ready, he was taken sick, and died. His Piame was Henry Obookiah. He died with *'a hope full of immortality." His grave is in Corn- wall, Conn. But he lived not in vain. By means of his life and death, good men felt so much for his poor countrymen, that many good missionaries have gone to those islands, and there built churches, and printed school books, opened schools, printed the Bible, and taught many thou- sands to read and to know God. The foolish idols are destroyed, and they are becoming a Christian nation. I remember when the missionaries first set out for that country. They sailed from New Haven ; and before they entered the ship, and as they took leave of their dear friends, amid a great company of Christians, they all united in singing a beautiful hymn. Three verses of this 1 will now read to you. Lect.6.] god will take CARE OF US 1 De h; mil. The gospel received. '* Wake, isles of the South ! your redemption is near ; No longer repose in the borders of gloom ; If he strength of his chosen in love will appear, And light shall arise on the verge of the tomb. The heathen will hasten to welcome the time, The day-spring, the prophet in vision once saw, When the beams of Messiah will 'lumine each clime, And the isles of the ocean shall wait for his law And thou, Obookiah, now sainted above, Shalt rejoice as the heralds their mission disclose ; And thy prayers shall be heard, that the land thou didst jove May blossom as Sharon, and bud as the rose ! " Oh ! what care and goodness in God, thus to guide this lonely child to this country, and, by his means, lead many to go and carry the gospel to that whole nation ! The Sabbath is now known there, and many thousands have already learned to read the Word of God ; and we believe multi- tudes have become true Christians, and have fol- lowed Henry to the presence of God in heaven 118 GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF US. [Lect. 1 The weeping mother. When they were heathen, they used to kill almost all their children when they were small ; and many of them were murdered, and given to their idol gods. One day, when the little church there was sitting down at the communion table, a poor woman, who had been a heathen, but who was now a Christian, was seen to weep most bitterly. One of the ministers asked her why she wept and wrung her hands. "Oh!" said she, "why did 1 not know of this blessed God before ! Why did I not ! I once had six sweet children — they are all gone — 1 murdered them all with my own hands! But oh, if 1 had known about God as 1 now do, they would have been alive now ! " They have now done with the cruel practice of murdering their children. They know better. Perhaps some of my little hearers are orphans, — have no father, or no mother. I can feel for such ; for I know what it is to stand by the grave of a father when a child. But let me say to you, lfct. g.] god will take care of us. 119 The ostrich in the wilderness. Sorrows to come. tliat God \^ ill take care of you. He takes care of the lily. You have heard of the ostrich, that great bird which lives in the wilderness. She lays her eggs in the sand, and then leaves them forever. The warm sun hatches out the young ostrich, and there is no mother to feed and take care of it. But God takes care' of it, and feeds it ; and will he not much more take care of the child who has lost father or mother, if that chuu ask him to be a father ? Surely he will Children, you have all yet to meet with trials and disappointments. You are meeting with lliem every day. You will have sickness, and pain, and sorrow, and you want a friend whose love cannot change. You must die, and be buried up in the ground ; and you want God to take care of you, \\ liether you li^^e in this world or in the next. Well, God will be such a friend to you on these conditions : — [. You must ask him to be your father and 120 GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF US. [Lkct. t When will God be a friend ? Conditions. friend. Ask him every day, and feel that without his blessing upon you every day, your., feet may fall, your eyes fill with tears, and }our soul meet with death. Ask in the name of Jesus Christ. 2. You must promise him sincerely that you will obey him and do his will. Suppose you had no father or no mother, and a great, and good, and rich man were to offer to take you, and take care of you, and make you his own child, and should say he would do it all, on the condition that you obliged him and did his will, — would you not at once promise to do it ? And so you ought to promise God. 3. You must love God as you would the best father in the world. Love his Son, because he is the express image of the Father. Love his word, his people, his service, his commands, his duties, and thus give him your heart, and he will be your friend forever and ever. Amen. 121 LECTURE VII. JESUS CHRIST TASTING DEATH. hsus — who J hy the grace of God, should taste death for every man. — Hebrews 2. 9. Contents.— Figurative language. Fields smiling. The sea afraid. Mean- ing of the text. How they used to put people to death. Socrates' dea'h. Long row of prisoners. Christ drinking the cup of poison. Children of Is- rael. The court-house. The young prisoner. His plea. His home. His family. The parting. Killing his parents. The compassionate judge. The pardon. Christ died for us. All saved ? The hospital. The house for ail the blind. Offered to all. A question answered. Light for all. Water for all. Salvation of Christ free. A thing to be remembered. The story of the slave. The good man. The slave bought. Ingratitude. All men slaves. John Howard. Four things to be done. If I should speak about Jigtirative language, 1 wonder if these children would know what 1 mean? Some, no doubt, would. But lest all could not understand it, I will tell you what I mean. If I should walk out with one of these children, on some fair and beautiful morning, and see the bright sun, and the trees full of blossoms, and the ground covered with green grass, and 8 12'/i CHRIST TASTING DEATH [Ljjct. " Meaning of the text. How they used to put people to death. hear the birds sing, I might stop and say to my iittle friend, " How pleasant ! The very fields smile !^^ By this I should not mean that the (ields have eyes, and a mouth, and a face, and can smile, just as we do. But this is figurative language. So when the Bible says, " The sea saw God, and was afraid," it means the waters rolled back, and went away, just as a man would run away when he was afraid. This is figurative language. The sea rolled back, just as if it were afraid. The fields look pleasant, just as a man does when he smiles. Now, see if you cannot u ^derstand this beauti- ful text. In the times when the Bible was writ- ten, they used to put men to death, who had broken the laws, in different ways. Some weie stoned to death. Some were drowned. But one very common way was, to make them take a cup and drink what was in it. This cup used to have poison in it. The condemned man drank it, and Lect. 7.] CHRIST TASTING DEATH. 12S Socrates' death. Long row of prisoners. in a few moments was dead. In this way Socra- tes, one of the best heathen that ever lived, and put to death unjustly, died. "The fatal cup was brought. Socrates asked what was necessary for him to do. 'Nothing more,' replied the ser- vant, ' than, as soon as you have drank it, to walk about till you find your legs grow weary, and af- terwards lie down upon your bed.' He took up the cup without any emotion or change in his color or countenance — and then drank off the whole draught with an amazing tranquillity." Now, this text represents all men as guilty of crime, and justly condemned to die. It is just as if all \v( re shut up in prison, and doomed to drink, each a cup full of poison. Just suppose the prison doors to be opened, and the poor men all brought out and placed in a long row, and each man holding a cup of poison in his hand, which he must drink. Then, at that moment, Jesus Chiist comes along, and pities the pool 124 CHRIST TASTING DEATH. [Lect. Christ drinking the cup of poison. Children of Israel. guilty prisoners, and goes slowly along, takes each cup out of the hand, and drinks it himself! This is drinking, or " tasting death for (n( i y man !" This is just as if Christ had done so for sinners. This is figurative language ; but you now understand it ; and whenever you read over this delightful text, you will know it means, that Christ died for sinners, and thus saved them from hell, just as he would save the poor prisoners, if he should drink the cup of poison for each one ! You know how mercies may come to people sometimes, not on their own account, but on the account of others. To make this plain : — -The children of Israel all sinned against God in the wilderness, and God was about to kill them all. But Moses went and prayed for them ; and God heard his prayers, and spared the wicked He- brews for the sake of Moses. When Joseph was sold a slave in Egypt, God blessed his master, and blessed all Egypt, for the sake of Joseph. And L«CT. 7.j CHRIST TASriNG nt-MTH. 125 The court-house. The youv.g prisoner. men who are guilty, and who deserve to die, can sometimes be forgiven for the sake of others, who are not guilty. This I will try to make plain to you. Suppose, in one of your walks, you go into the court-house, while the court are doing their business. You go in, and find the great room full of people. A young man has just been tried for committing an awful crime. The lawyers have done pleading for him, and he is proved to be guilty. He must die ; and he has now been brought into the court to hear the sentence of death. The judge rises up with a paper in his hand, on which the sentence is written. He looks towards the young man, and says, • " Young man, the court have found you guilty. Is there any reason why the sentence of death should not now be pronounced upon you ? " The young man rises up. His hands are clasped together in agony. The sheriff stands 126 CHRIST TASTING DEATH [Lect. 7 His plea. His home. close bj him, so that he shall not escape. He stands a moment, and the tears fall fast from his cheeks. He falters, — and then speaks : — " Sir, I have to thank jou for the kind manner in which I have been tried. I deserve to die, and, for myself, I cannot, and I do not, ask for life. But, sir, far away from this, in a remote corner of the country, there is a high mountain rising up towards heaven. At the foot of that mountain is a beautiful meadow, with a sweet little brook winding through it. On the banks of that brook, and just at the foot of the moun- tain, stands a little cottage, under the lofty elms that hang over it. And there I spent my boy hood. The stream was never dry, and the meadows were always green. There I lived, gay as the lark which flew over m.y head ; and in that little cottage there lives an old, worn-out soldier, who fought and bled for his country. You can remember how you and he fought side Lkct. 7.] CHRIST TASTING DEATH. 129 His family. The parting. Killing his parents. by side, and how he once saved the life of his general, at the risk of his own. He is an old man ; — his hair is gray ; — he leans upon a staff when he walks. And beside him sits a feeble woman. They are my father and my mother. At their feet sit my two little sisters, who, every night, go to the little window, and stand and watch as long as they can see, in hopes to see me return. For, when I left my home, and my father laid his hand on my head, and prayed foi me, and my mother wept her blessing over me, and my sisters hung upon my arm, I promised to return again, and be the comfort, the stay, and the staff of that family. And now, sir, when I am gone, — when I am cut off with all the sins of my youth fresh upon me, — the tidings wil! all go to that distant cottage, and the news will kill that old man, my father, and that aged woman, my mother. Yes, they will sink down in sorrow to the grave; and my orphan sisters will he 130 CHRIST TASTING DEATH. [Lect. 7. The compassionate judge. The pardon. lurned out upon a world whose chanties \\ ill be cold towards the sisters of one who died on the gallows. Oh, sir, how can I die, and bury that family in ruin ! Oh, save me, for the sake of that old soldier, who shed his blood freely for his country, and that mother, whose prayers will cover your head as long as she lives, and those sisters, who will never lie down without praying for you ! For my sake, I dare not ask life ; but for their sakes, I ask and entreat it ! " The humane judge is moved ; he is a father, and he weeps. He says, '' Young man, I cannot pardon you. I must pass the sentence of the law upon you. But I will commend you to the governor, who has the power to pardon you. I will tell him your story, and I hope, for the sake of that old soldier, your father, he will pardon you ; but till his mind is known, you are con- demned." Now follow the good judge. He goes to the LECT. 7.] CHRIST TASTING DEATH. I31 Christ died for us. All saved ? The hospital. governor. He states the case, the crime, the guilt of the youth. He also states the situation of the old father whose only son is condemned to the gallows. The governor listens. His heart, too, is moved, and he pardons the young man, and sends him home, not because he de- served pardon, but for the sake of his father's family. This, now, is a plain case, where a man may receive pardon for the sake of another. Just so, for the sake of Jesus Christ, men may be pardoned by God, and prepared for heaven. In this way have more good people gone to heaven than we could count — a multitude from every nation under heaven. But perhaps I should here ask you a question. If Christ died for all men, tasted death for every man, will every man, of course, go to heaven ? I answer. No; not of course. Let me show you how it is. At Boston they have built a great and a beautiful house for sick people to be carried 132 CHRIST TASTING DEATH. [Lect. 7 The house for all ihe blind. Offered to all. to, in order to be taken care of, and cured. It is called a hospital. It is built for the use of every man in Massachusetts — if he chooses to go to it. It is so that any person who wishes may go there and enjoy its accommodations. Now, if any body does not feel sick, he need not go there. He ma^ be sick at home, if he chooses. Still he has a right to go to the hospital. It was built for every body. So Christ died for all men, and is ready to save all men ; but if any do not feel their need of him, or if they choose to go somewhere else for pardon, they can, and, of course, they are not saved by Christ. Suppose I am a rich man, and I build a great house, and call it the house for blind people ; and print it in all the newspapers, that the house is all ready and complete, and that every blind child in the land may come and live in it ; that I will give hin food and clothing, will have him instructed, and will even cure him of his blindness. But I Lbct. 7] CHRIST TASTING DEATH. 133 A question answered. have one condition ; and that is, that all the blind children who come shall behave well, and be good children, and obey all the rules of the house, "^['his would be a house for all the blind in the land. But would all come to it ? No. Some would say, they do not wish to be fed and clothed. Some would say, they do not wish to be taught. And some would say, they do not wish to be cured ; they had as lief be blind as not. And thus there might be multitudes who are blind, but who receive no good from my house. Just so with men in regard to Jesus Christ. All may go to him and be saved ; but all will not choose to go ; and none will be saved except those who do go to him, and who obey him. But will God, perhay)s you ask, provide for all, and yet all not receive salvation? ^ Will he lay a foundation for a great church, and yet set only a small building on it? I reply to you, that God has provided a Saviour, who is able and willing to save all men ; and yet he will save none but thos^j 134 CHRIST TASTING DEATH. FLErx. 7 Light for all. Water for all. who break off from sin, and obey him. What child needs to have me tell him that God provides many blessings which all do not enjoy, though all might, if they chose? He has created sunshine enough for all. But some are so wicked that they had rather be thieves, and go to steal in the night, and sleep when the sun shines. Still there is light enough for all, if all choose to use it. So, also, God has created water enough to supply every thirsty man on earth ; but some choose not to drink it; they had rather drink some strong drink, which destroys them. But there is water enough, and it is their fault if they do not use it. Does any man ever say that God could not and did not write the Bible ? or that God has not ap])ointed and blessed the holy Sabbath, because so many people choose to break the Sabbath, and waste it ? No. In all these cases, w^e know that God has, in mercy, provided these blessings, and then left men to do as they please about en- 'oying them. Lect. 7.] CHRIST TASTING DEATH. ]35 Salvation of Christ free. A ihin;^ to he reinemhcrcd. It is just SO with the salvation by Jesus Christ. It is as free as the water which flows from the clouds ; but, then, men may do as they please about going to Christ for it. ^ He healed every sick man who came to him, when he was on earth ; but if any were sick, and did not go to him, or send to him, such he did not heal. I have almost done this Lecture. But I want to say a word more to these dear children, and to say, if I can, such a thing, and in such a manner, that they will not forget it. What I wish to say is this, that it is very wrong not to love Jesus Christ for his mercy in tasting death for every man. Now, suppose 1 should say to you, *' Children, I am now going to tell you a story about myself; and the story is this. Just suppose it true. I was once out on the great waters, far out upon the ocean, in a large ship, going to the Indies. On one fine morning, another ship came in sight, and bent her course so as to come straight to- 136 CHRIST TASTING DEATH. [Lkct. 7. The storv of the slave. The good man. wards us. We were atVciid of her, and so we hoisted up every sail we could, in order to get away. But she gained upon us, and we could not escape. So she sailed up to us, a great ship, full of men, and guns, and swords. They took us all, and carried us to their country, and put irons on our hands and on our feet, and stripped off our clothes, and sold us in the market for slaves, just as they would cattle. I was bought by a cruel, wicked man, who almost starved me, and who used to whip me every day till the blood ran down my back. So 1 lived for years. The news at length reached my native place. And then the richest and the best man in the whole coun- try, and one v\'hom 1 had always treated unkind- ly, heard of my coiidition. He UAi for me. At once he sold his house, his lands, and every thing he had, and took all he had in ilie world, and went hito that distant country, to buy me out of slavery \\4ien he got there, he told what he Lect. 7.J CHRIST TASTING DEATH. 137 The slave bouo^lil. Ii.srratitinle. wanted. My master would not sell me. The good man offered all his money, and to become poor himself. No, — my master would not take it. At last, the good man offered to become a slave himself, if I might be set at liberty. The offer was accepted. I had the irons taken off from my hands, and put on his : and the stripes which I had received, were laid upon him. I saw him a poor slave, and knew that he had left home and friends, and had become a slave, to buy my freedom ! I came home to my friends, w here 1 have a home and so many blessings. And now 1 forget that friend who became a slave in my place. I never speak of him ; 1 never ^^'rite to him, never thank him ; never have tried to love him or his friends! Is not this ungrateful ? Is 't not wrong, and sinful ? And have I not got a very wicked heart ? " Now, just see how this applies to us. We were all taken and mad^i slaves by sin. We were 138 CHRIST TASTING DEATH. [Lect. 7 All men slaves. John Howard. all in bondage, and all ruined. Jesus Christ was in heaven, with the Father. His eye pitied us. He was rich, and had all in heaven Lr his own ; but he became a poor man. For our sakes, he became poor. He came, like an angel, on the wings of love, down to this world, where we poor slaves live. He would buy us. And he bought us by becoming a curse for us I'-i^ bought us, " not with corruptible things, as with silver and gold," but by his own precious blood. " The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all, and by his stripes we are healed." Ought we not to love Jesus Christ, and that, too, with all the heart ? Christ died for us while we were enemies. The great and the good John Howard went all over Europe to visit the prisons and to do good to the poor prisoners. When he entered a pris- on, the prisoners would frequently go the whole length of their chain, to fall at his feet and bless L«CT. 7.] CHRIST TASTING DEATH. l39 Four ihiiisrs to be done. him. But they were not his enemies, nor did he die for them. But Christ died for us, while we were enemies. What a love is this ! What a Saviour is he ! " What think ye of Christ," my dear children ? Should you not at once begin to do, and continue to do, these four things? 1 . Think about Jesus Christ every day, in your own heart. 2. Read about Christ in the Bible, and try to know as much about him as you possibly can. 3. Think how little you have thought of him, 01 cared for him, and be humbled and truly sorry. 4. Give him your love, your h^art, your life, your all. Amen. 9 140 LECTURE VIII. CHRIST INTERCEDING FOR US. He ever liveth to make intercession. — Heb. 7. 25. Contents. — The name of Washington. We all want a friend. The poji Indian and his child. Christ is such a friend as we need. Children'j troubles. The three friends. The real friend. Story applied, Christ is the real friend. When most needed. The just khig and his laws. Christ's manner of interceding. High treason. The wife and ten children. The pardon. How is Christ's intercession different ? The child in prison. The two brothers. Four things in Christ. He is worthy. He knows our wants. Kver lives. Never changes. The waters quench not his love. Almost every prayer ^^ hich we hear, is made in the name of Jesus Christ : and every thing we ask God for, is asked " ^or Christ's sake." A poor, sick soldier might go to the door of con- gress, and ask to go in, and ask for help for him- self and his family, and he could not get any. But if he had in his pocket a paper, saying thai he might go and ask help in the name of Wash- ington, and if congress knew that the paper was <^ritten by Washington, they would hear his re Lect. 8.] CHRIST INTERCEDING. l41 We all want a friend. quest, and aid hiin, for Washington's sake. This would be asking in another's name, just as we ask God in Christ's name ; and it would be an- swering for another's sake, just as God answers us " for Christ's sake." Nobody can feel happy w^ithout a friend. And almost every one tries to get and keep a few friends, however wicked he may be. Let any one have no friend to feel for him, to share his joys and his sorrows, and he will feel unhappy. ^You have seen how children will love a little dog, or a lamb, or a dove, or any thing that can love them. The little boy will talk to his top, and the little girl will talk to her doll, because they want a friend ; and if the top and the doll could talk, and love them, they would be still more glad. Why ? Because we all want friends, to whom we can talk, and who will feel for us. Let me show you just what I mean. Some years ago, there was an Indian in the 142 CHRIST INTERCEDING. [Lkct. 8 The poor Iiulian aiid his child. State of Maine, who, for his very good conduct, had a large farm given him by the state. He built his little house on his land, and there lived. Around him were quite a number of white fami- lies. They did not treat him badly, but, because he was an Indian, they did not act and feel as if they loved him, and as if they were his friends. His only child was taken sick, and died, and not one of the white people went near him to comfort him, or to aid him to bury his little child. A few days after, he came to the white people, and said to them, " WJien white man's child die, Indian ma7X he sorry, — he help bury him, IVIien my child die, no one speak to me — / 7nake his grave alone, — / canH no live here, — and have no friend to love me J r" The poor Indian gave up his farm, dug up the body of his child, and carried it with him two hundred miles through the forest, to join the Lect. 8.] CHRIST INTERCEDING. 1 43 Christ is such a friend as we need. Children's troubles. Canada Indians ! What love for his child ! What a deep feeling in his heart, that he wanted a friend ! So we all want some one to whom we may look every day. But when we are sick, when in distress, when we are about to die, oh, then, we want a friend who will stand near us, and who can help us. Now, Jesus Christ is just that friend. He was once a man of sorrows, and was acquainted with grief, and knows how to help those who are in sorrow. He was once in the agonies of death, and knows all how the dying feel. Is any one poor ? So was he, and knows all about being poor. Are you a poor weak child ? So was he, and knows just how the child feels, and just what a friend he needs. You have little trials and troubles, which older people would not think of, but which sometimes make your heart feel heavy and sad. Well, Jesus Christ knows all about such feelings, and 144 CHRIST INTERCEDING. [Lect. 8 The three friends. can help jou, and will do it every day, if you ask him every day to do so. But though w^e want a friend all our lives, there is one hour when we very much need such a friend. That is the hour of dying. Let me show you why. There was once a man who had three friends. He knew them, and lived near them for years. It so happened, that this man was accused to the king of the country as a bad man, and the king ordered that he should be put to death. The poor man heard of it, and was in great trouble. He expected to lose his life, and to leave his family of children in great distress. After think- ing it over, and weeping over it, he determined to go to the king, and fall down before him, and get somebody to go with him, and beg his life. So he called on these three friends, and begged them to go with him. The first whom he asked, he loved best, and thought him his best friend. Lect. 8.J CHRIST INTERCEDING. I 15 The real friend. Slory applied. But no ; — he would not go with him one step towards the king's court. He would not move to help him. He next went to the second friend, and whom he loved next best, and asked him to go. So thej set out to go ; but when thej came to the gates of the king's court, this friend stopped, and would not go in with him, and ask for his life. Then he went to the third friend, and the one whom he loved the least, and asked him to help him. This friend was known to the king, and beloved hy him. So he took him by the hand, and led him in ^o the king, and interceded, or begged for him, and the king par- doned the condemned man, for the sake of his friend who interceded for him ! Now, see how this story applies here. People have three thing:s, w^hich they think of- and which they call their friends. These three things are, 1. The world ; that is, property, and houses, and all the fine things which they have. 2; ]46 CHRIST INTERCEDING [I.f.ct. e Christ the real friend. When most needed. Their friends. 3. Jesus Clirisl. Tlie first of these friends is loved the most. Our friends are ioved next best; and Jesus Christ least of all. So, when we are taken sick, and must die, and go in before the great King, we call upon these to help us. The world, and the things of the world, however, cannot go with us one step. They must all be useless the moment we lie on the bed of death. The next, which is, our friends, can go with us through the sickness, and as far as to the king's gates, the gates of death, and they there stop and leave us. But Jesus Christ, that friend, of whom we think so little, and whom »ve love so little, he can go in with us before the ^reat King of kings, and plead for us, — intercede for us, and thus save our souls fiom being con- demned to eternal death. This, oh, this is the time when we need him for our friend, and need him for our intercessor. He died for us, and can, herefore, be our friend, and plead for us, and save us. Leci 8] CHRIST INTERCF^.DING. !47 Th.^ just cing and his laws. Christ's manner of interceding'. I trust jou hcive not forgotten the last Lec- ture, in which I tried to show you how that God can save our souls, because Christ suffered for us. I am now showing jou that Christ does something more ; he intercedes for us. A king once made a law against a certain crime ; and the law was, that every one who did that wicked ihing should have both his eyes put out. Very soon, a man was found who had broken the law. He was tried and found guilty. It was the king's own son. Now, the king saw that, if he did not punish his son, nobody ought to be pun- ished, and nobody would keep the law. ^ So he had one eye of his son put out, and one of his own eyes put out! He could now go before the court and plead for his son, and, by his own suf- ferings and intercession, could save his son from further punishment. All the people saw that the good king hated the crime and loved his laws. Just so does Jesus Christ save us. He has suflfered for us, and now lives to intercede for us 148 CHRIST INTERCEDING. TLeot. £ High treason. How very different are Christ's prayers for us from any thing which we can do for one another! He can always aid us. We cannot al- ways do it. Let me try to show you the differ- ence. Many years ago, there were some men, in the state of Pennsylvania, who would not obey the laws of their country, but tried to destroy the laws, and have their own wills. When men go so far as to unite, and say they will not obey the laws, this crime is called " high treason." Among these men who did so, was one by the name of John Fries. He was carefully tried by the court, and found guilty, and sentenced to be hung. The death-warrant was signed by the president of the United States, and the day was fixed on which he should die. But just before the day came, some people went to the president, and asked him to permit a woman to see him, who had something to say to him. The president said he would see her. Lect. 8] CHRIST INTERCEDING. 149 The wife and ten children. Tlie j)ardon. A few kind friends went with her to the house oi the president. The president stood up to receive her. But what was his surprise to see this woman with ten children all kneeling before him in tears ! They were the wife and the ten children of John Fries, kneeling and weeping, and interceding for the life of their father, who was condemned to die ! The president stood in amazement ; and then the big tears came gushing down his cheeks, and his voice was so choked, that he could not speak. With his eyes streaming with tears, and his hands raised towards heaven, he pushed away out of the room. Oh, what a moment of anxiety ! Would he hear the petition, or would he let the man die ? In a few moments he returned with a paper in his hand. It contained a full and free pardon for her husband, and their father. He gave it to Mrs. Fries, and she went away, and re- turned joyful to her home, having her husband with her. IJO CHRIST INTERCEDING. [Lect. 8 How is Christ's intercession different? The child in prison. This was interceding before a human being. Christ intercedes before God. This was inter- ceding for one man. Christ does it for all his peo- ple. This was for one short life. Christ asks for us eternal life. This was for one sin. Christ in- tercedes for all our sins. This was for a friend. Christ does it for those who have ever been ene- mies. This saved from the curse pronounced by human laws. Christ saves us from the curse of God's law. This was a little stream ; but Christ carries us over the dark river of death. Suppose one of these children were condemn- ed to die, and were shut up in prison, and were going to send a petition to the governor for your life. Whom would you wish to carry it? The most worthy man in the whole town, certainly. 'Christ is the most worthy being in the unnerse, and therefore he is a good intercessor. If you were to petition for your life, whom would you wish to carry your petition ; a stranger, or some Lect. 8.] CHRIST LNTERCEDING. 15) Tlie iwo brothers. Four tilings in Clnsi. warm, intimate friend of the governor ? The friend, surely. You would say, the governor will be more likely to hear his friend than a stranger. Yes. And God is ever well-pleased with his dear Son, and is williii": to hear him when he intercedes for us. History informs us of a man who was doomed to die for some crime which he had committed. His brother had lost an arm in defending his coun- try. He came forward and held up the stump of his lost arm, and interceded for his brother. The judges were so affected by the remembrance of his past services, that they freely pardoned the guilty brother for his sake. Thus is Christ de- scribed to us as sitting on the throne, with his wounds yet bleeding (Rev. 5. 6,) and hiterceding for us. There are four things about Jesus Christ which make him just such an intercessor as we need. I will tell you what they are. 1. He IS worthy. You know, dear rhildrrn, that it Is a great 152 CHRIST INTERCEDING. [Lect. fc He is worthy. comfort to have good men praj for us. You know, too, that the prayers of good men avail much with God. In the Bible you will find the stories, wheie one man prayed, and the dead child of a heathen woman was raised to life ; where another prayed, and an angel came down and shut the mouths of lions, so that they did not hurt tlie good maiic Peter prayed, and a dead woman came to life. Paul prayed, and a young man, \a ho had fallen from the third story of the house, and v^as killed, was brought to life. Abraham prayed for Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities would have been spared, if there had been ten righteous men in five cities. But good men might pray for you ; all the good men on earth might, and if Christ should not also, it would not do you any good. No. And all the good spirits in heaven, saints and angels, even up to Gabriel, might pray for you, and all would not be so good as one prayer of Christ. He is worthy. The saints and the angels cast their crowns at his feet, and cry, "Thou art worthy.''^ Lect. 8.J CHRIST INTERCEDING. 153 He knows our waaits. He i.j worshipped by all in heaven. He sits on the throne with God, and God loves him, and w\\\ hear him in our behalf. 2. Christ hwws your wants. I sometimes pray with these children, and foi them. I shall do so again when this Lecture is done. But it is some years since I was a child ; and I forget how a child teels, and v\hat his wants are. So does every man. Were David to pray for you, he would forget how he used to feel when a child. So would Abraham, so would all heaven. Not so with Jesus Christ. He never forgets how he felt when he was a child. He can look at once down on the heart, and knows every feeling, every fear, every sorrow, every want. You can conceal nothing from his eye. And when he intercedes for you, he know s exactly what you need. He knows better than your mother, and even better than you know yourself. 4 CHRIST INTERCEDING. [Lect. b Ever lives Never chang^es. 3. Christ will ever live to intercede for you. Good parents may pray for you often. So may good ministers. But they cannot do it longo They must soon die, and leave you. They will soon all be gone. But Christ is alive to-day ; he w^ill be alive to-morrow ; he will be alive when you come to die, and your soul goes into the eter- nal world. And when the graves are opened, when the sun goes down to rise no more, and the moon and the stars all fade away, he will still live, and live to intercede for his disciples. Dbath will take us all away, but h dies no more. 4. Christ never changes. Almost every thing changes. The weather changes, the trees change, the flowers change, and all things which we see. Friends also chano:^ Some go away from us. Some are good friends when we are well, but leave us when we are in trouble. The severe lines of the poet are often true :-^ Lect. 8.1 CnrxLST INTERCEDING. 155 The waters quench not his love. *' The friends, who in our sunshine live, When winter conies, are flown ; And he who hast but tears to give, Must weep those tears alone." Yes, we maj all change ; we may be disap pointed, may be in sorrow, may be in sickness, be in the agonies of death ; but Christ never changes, never leaves us, never forgets us. We may sink into the cold, swelling river, and be drowning, and our friends stand on the banks, not daring to go in after us ; but his love cannot be quenched by the cold waters of " many floods." We shall die, and sleep in the grave. We shall iwake again at the resurrection day. But in all this Christ does not change. " The same yesterday, to-day, and forever," he ever liveth to intercede for us. O what a Redeemer! " Bless- ed, O Lord, is the man who trusteth in thee." Amen. 10 156 LECTURE 1 X . GIVING ACCOUNT TO GOU. Evcri, one of us shall give account of himself to God."^ Romans 14. 12. Contents. — Plain text. The stranger. His account of himself. IIow dif- ferent from the account to God. The merchant. Account of one of these boys. Fields, horses, and plants, called to account. The plant producing no flower. How a father feels. The house burned. The soul poisoned. The father's feeling^s over a murdered child. Every one must give account How can children sin ? How much does a child sin ? The little rattle snake. What murder is. Anger. The Bible destroyed. The bones broken. The Sabbath lost. The child killing people. Conscience. The fruit-trees. The broken bowl. Three directions. The Roman emperor This seems to be one of the plainest texts in the Bible. It tells jou ivho shall give an account. ; 'every one of us." It tells us to whom you shall ^ive an account ; " to God ;" and about whom you must give the account ; "of himself." So far is plain. But perhaps these children will mistake, after all. Let me make it so plain that you can- not mistake it. Suppose, when you go home to- Lect. 9.] GIVING ACCOUNT TO GOD. 157 The stranger. His account of liimself. night, a stranger coines into your house, and is asked to stay and spend the evening. He is very pleasant, and talks with all the family ; and, among others, he talks with the children. He tells them he has been away off on the great waters, in a ship, to catch whales ; that, one day, when trying to kill a poor whale, the wounded fish turned and struck the ship with his tail, and broke it all in pieces ; that he and his few^ men who were not drowned, got into a little boat, and rowed off, day and night, for many days, till near- ly all were dend, — starved to death; — that they were then cast upon a low, desert island, where they lived upon fish, and such things, for years, till a ship happened to pass that way and took them, and brought them home. Thus he tells you the whole account of his life. You thank him foi it. It is an interesting and useful account. You love to hear it. But this is not what is meant by giving account to God. Why not? Because be 158 GIVING ACCOUNT TO GOD. [Lect. 9 How different from the account to God. Tlie merchant. is noi obliged to give the account to jou, unless he pleases ; but we must do it to God. Because, also, JOU cannot know whether or not it is the crue account of his life ; but God will know whether we give a true account or not. Because, too, jou could not reward him for the times when he did well, nor punish him when he did wrong ; but when we give account to God, he will reward us, or punish us, as we have done right or wrong. A merchant might tell us all about his bargains, his ships, his losses, and gains, and the curious things with which he has met ; but though the account of his life is very interesting, yet it is not such an account as we must give to God. A lawyer could give you an account of what he has seen, — what prisoners tried for stealing, — others for murder, — and how the friends were present, and how they seemed to be broken-hearted when the sentence of death was pronounced ; but this is not such an account as we must give to God at last. Lect. 9.] GIVING ACCOUNT TO GOD. 1 59 Account of one of tlieso bovs ^ Suppose that one of those little hoys in that front seat should now get up, and try to give me an account of his whole life. Could he do it in such a way as he \A'ould have to, if God should call him to do it ? No. Because he would not be likely to remember but a small part of it; and I could not know the rest, as God can. He would not feel willing to put into the account all the foolish and wicked words he has ever said ; the wicked thoughts and feelings he has ever had ; nor the wrong things he has ever done. And I could not tell them. Besides, I could not know how to punish or reward him as he de- serves; but God knows just how to do it. I should have no right to do it, if I could ; but God would have the right. So you see, that it is a very different thing to give an account to God from what it would be to give it to a man. We call almost every thing to account in some way or other. Just see. Did you never see a 160 GIVING ACCOUNT TO GOD. [Lect. S Fields, horses, and plants, called to account. farmer go out and look carefully at the waving wheat in the field, and, taking some of the wheat- heads in his hand, rub them to get the wheat out ? Why was he doing it ? To see if it had much wheat in it, and to see if it were good, full wheat. This was a kind of trial, or account, to which he was calling his wheat. When a man buys a new watch or clock, you will see him examining it every day, and looking carefully to see if it goes, and goes right. Yes, he calls it to account ; and if it goes wrong, or stops, he sends it back, and will not keep it. And he would blame it severe- ly, if it could understand him, and knew better. Let a man own a horse, and keep him, and take good care of him, and he will blame the horse, and whip him, if he is not kind, and does not obey him. The very horse is called to an ac- count for his conduct. Yes, if one of these little girls had a plant, which she had kept, and watered, and taken care of for years, and if it never pro- PJ^'^'-y. L«CT. 9-1 GIVING ACCOUNT TO GOD. 163 The plant producing no flowers. How a lUllier feels. duced one single blossom, she would feel discour- aged, and call it to an account, and give it up, and let it perish. She would call the frail plant to a kind of account, and treat it according to its character. She might grieve over her plant, and even shed tears to have it turn out so poorly ; but she would not keep taking care of it, if it were a useless plbiit, and never blossomed. Some seem to think that God does not care how we live in this world. But let us see. In the Bible, he is called our Father. Docs a father love to see a child do wrong ? Supix)se the father of one of you should go away on a journey, and should hear, while gone, that a wicked man had set his barn on fire, and burned up all his hay and his cattle. Would he not feel as if the wicked man ought to be called to an account ? Su])j)ose, the next day, he should hear that the same wicked man had set his house on fire, and had burned ii to ashes, and, in doing this, had burned up one 164 GIVING ACCOUNT TO GOD. [Lect. «. The house burned. The soul poisoned. of his dear children. Would he not feel grieved ? Would he not think the wicked man ought to be called to account, and punished ? Yes, he would. Well, do jou not suppose our Father in heaven feels just so towards those who sin, and do wrong ? Suppose I should give one of these dear children poison, and should tell him it was food, and he should believe me, and it should kill him. Ought I not to be called to account, and punished ? Certainly 1 had. But su])pose I should, by any means, poison the mind, and tell you what is not true, and make you lose the soul forever. Ought I not to be called to account? Yes, I ought to be. But nobody can do it but God, and he will do it. Now, suppose, as you go home, and as you get away at some distance, you see an old man, w ith gray hair, bending over and leaning on his staff. He is looking down towards the ground. As you get near him, you see blood on the ground Lect. 9.] GIVING ACCOUNT TO GOD. 165 Tlie father's feelings over a murdered child. ; and you see a little girl lying and bleeding in the path just before the old man. She is pale ; her eyes are closed ; and the blood runs out of her mouth and ears ; and she is dead. She moves no more than the stones. She has been murder- ed. But who is that old man bending over her? Oh ! he is her father, — and she is his youngest child. She was walking with him, and cling- ing to his arm, when a wicked man came up, and struck her with a club, and, in spite of the cries and entreaties of her father, kept striking, till she was dead ! What think you ? Does not that old man's heart ache ? Does not that good father wish to have the murderer called to an account and punished ? Yes, he does. He cannot but wish so. And so does our Father in heaven feel when he sees sin. It may be only anger in the heart ; but he sees it so clearly that it is murder in his si^ht. And so he will call us to an account God can no more look upon sin without disliking 166 GIVING ACCOUNT TO GOD. [Lect. 9 Every one must give account. How can children sin ? it, than a father can see his children murdered, without wishing the man who does it to be call- ed to an account Every child knows that every man must give account of his conduct to somebody. The child must give account to his parents and to his teach- ers. The teacher must give a kind of account to the parents. The parents must give account to conscience, to society around, and to God. But has the child much of an account to give to God ? Let us see. Take one of these children who is eight years old. That child has had fifty-two Sabbaths every year, for eight years : this is over four hundred Sabbaths. Has he kept all these Sabbaths holy ? Has no one of them been lost, and wasted ? All these have been seasons of mercy, in which he might learn about God, and Christ, and heaven. But there are three hundred and sixty-five days in every year; and so thai «.«CT. 9.] GIVING ACCOUNT TO GOD. 167 How much does a child sin ? child has lived almost three thousand days. In each day, how many times has he thought of God ? In each day, he could disobey his parents more than once ; speak cross and wicked words more than once ; neglect to pray to God more than once, and have many wicked thoughts and feelings in his heart. Oh, how many days has that child lived and hardly thought of God ! And yet, every day, God has awaked him in the morn- ing, and fed him with food, and clothed him, and kept him alive. When he has been sick, God came to the bed-side and cured him. When he was in danger of dying, God has made him well ; and all these many days, God has been doing good to him. Say, has not that child a great account to give to God? Some people seem to feel that a child does not commit sin ; or, if he does, his sins are few, and very small. But I hope you will not feel so, till you have thought much upon it. I will examine it for a few moments. 168 GIVING ACCOUNT TO GOD. [Lect. . The little rattlesnake. Wliat murder is. Anger. All know that it is wrong to be angry. God declares that anger in the heart is murder. It may not seem to be murder to you. Now, does the little beautiful snake, not longer than your finger, seem to be a very bad creature? But keep him, and feed him, and let him grow ; and you will soon see him turning red on the back, and hear him hiss with his tongue ; and he is soon the deadly rattlesnake, who, with a single bite, can kill any body. Just so with anger. If it dies away in the heart, nobody but God knows it. If it swells still larger, it breaks out in cross looks, and cross words, and perhaps makes the hand strike. If it swells still larger, it may raise the arm, and stab, and kill. The arm does not move of itself. No, it is the wicked feelings within which move it to kill. Now, suppose a dollar in money must be paid for every time these children have ever been angry in all their lives. Who would be able to pay it ? If not one of them could be saved, unless a dollar Lect. 9.1 GIVING ACCOUNT TO GOD. 169 The Bible destroyed. Tne bones broken. was paid for each angry feeling which he has ever had, who could buy his salvation ? who would engage to do it ? Suppose there were now only one Bible in tlie world, and that one is ^his lying on the pulpit before me. From this one, all the Bibles which the world are ever to have, must be copied. And suppose God should now speak from heaven, and say, *'This Bible must lie here one year without being moved; and every time one of these children commits a single sin, one leaf of the Bible shall drop out and perish forever ! " Pray tell me, if many, many leaves would not be gone before the year is out ? Tell me, if what was left would not be a very poor Bible? And will any body say that children do not sin ? Suppose, too, that God should say, ** I will now pardon all the sins which these children have ever committed ; all shall be forgiven ; but every child who sins after this, shall have one of his bones 170 GIVING ACCOUNT TO GOD. [Lect . The Sabbath lost. The child killing people. broken for every sin which he ever commits ! " Do you not think that one and another would soon be cripples ? What child here would live a month 01 a week without having some bones broken? And will any one say that children do not sin ? If God should say, ''Take the best child in this house, and let him hear what I am to say ; ever} time you break the Sabbath, one Sabbath shall forever be taken away out of each year ! " how long would it take that child to sin away all our Sabbaths ? Do not children sin ? Once more. Suppose that one of these chil- dren be called out from the rest, — no matter which one it is, — but one be called out, to stand up in the aisle there, and God should say, *' For the first sin, and for every sin, which that child commits, the person who is nearest to him shall drop down dead ; — and so on, as long as he lives, every sin shall kill the person who is nearest to him ! " Who would not fear ? Why, every one in this Lkct. 9.] GIVING ACCOUNT CO GOD. 171 Coiisc'.eiice. The fruit-trees. house would flee out for his life ; every one would run for the door, so as not to be the nearest person. And before we all got out, a sin would rise up in his heart, and one would drop down dead, and then :^nother, and perhaps another ! Oh, what a terror would that chiki be ! The angel of death, on his pale horse, could not be more feared. And, now, will any one say that children do not sin ? And have they not a great account to give to God ? There is anotlier way by which you may know whether or not you are sinners ; and that is, by asking your own hearts. Let the boys of a family be a; play together on a mild afternoon. Their father tells them they must be careful and do no mischief. But, when he comes home at night, he fnids some one has cut, and mangled, and killed several of his young fruit-trees. One of his boys has done it, FTe calls them to an account. Now, who is afraid to be called to the account ? Most plainly, the boy who has done the mischief. The 172 GIVING ACCOUNT TO GOD. [Lect. 9 ITie broken bowl. Tliree Jirections. rest are not afraid. So with you. No child would be afraid of God, were it not that the heart tells him that he is a sinner. A mother comes mto the room where her little daughters have been playing. She finds the cupboard door open, and her sugar-bowl all broken in pieces. Which of the little girls is now afraid ? Why, the one who has done the mischief. And all, who are afraid of God, are afraid because they are sinners. And all are sinners. Oh, that God would make us holy! Let me close this Lecture with three short di- rections. L Every day be careful how you live — because you must give account to God for every day. Do nothing of which you will feel ashamed when God calls you to account. Omit no duty which God tells you to do. You will be sorry for every sin when you come to die. 2. Learn someihing of God every day. You lect.9.] giving account to god. 173 The Roman emperor. may learn about God bj thinking of him, talking about him, reading about him, and praying to him. The more you know about God, the more you will fear to sin, and the more you will try to please him. 3. Do something every day which will j^lease God, and which will make you glad in the great day of accounts. Titus, a heathen emperor, through all his life used to call himself to ac ount, every night, for the actions of the day past , and when one day had slipped without his doinc some good, he used to write, " I have lost a iay." He did not know of a judgment-day; bi »: you do ; and therefore lose no day, in which j )u do not something and much to i)lease God. / neu 11 174 LECTURE X. GREAT R VENTS HANG ON LITTLE THINGS. A certain man drew a how at a venture. — 1 Kings 22. 34. Contents. — The man and his bow and arrow. What an arrow can do The subject stated. T.e ship-yard. The wormy stick. The leaky ship The result. The child and the acorn. The oak. The result. The lig-ht- house removed. A little mistake. Siiip and lives lost. Result. Greal fires in the forest. Little boy playing' with fire. The spark caught. The mother of Mohammed. The consequence. How it is with these children, What the subject teaches. The tongue. The child did not tell a lie. Company. Every day. The little stream. The last thing^ taught by this subject. This chapter gives an account of a war be- tween two kingdoms. They were the kingdoms of Israel and of Syria. They fought hard, and shed much blood. Ahab was king of Israel, When going out on the battle-field, he put off his kingly dress, and put on such clothes as other men wear, lest they should know him and should kill him. During the battle, a man (but what his name was, or what his history was, we know Lect. lO.J LITTLE TrilNnS. 171 What an arrow can do. not) — a mail held his bow and arrow in his hand. He thought he w^ould shoot towards the army of Israel. He saw no man at whom he especially desired to aim. Perhaps he paused a moment, and doubted whether he should shoot or not. But the arrow was in his hand, and he put it to the string of his bow. Now, is it any matter whether he shoots or not? He raises the bow to shoot. ' Is it any matter whether he shoots one way or another ? Yes ; much depends upon his shooting, and which way he takes aim with his arrow. He shoots, — the arrow flies, — the wind does not turn it aside out of the way, — it goes towards a chariot. The harness, at that moment, just opens a little at the joints ! There, now ! it goes in at that little opening. Hark ! there is a groan. It has hit the king; it has killed the king ! Ahab, the great king, who built great cities, and built an ivory horse, and who carried on great wars, is killed, and the wnr is 178 LITTLE THL\(iS. [Lkct. 10 The subject statec'. The ship-yard. The wormy slick. put to an end, by that little arrow, which anj one of these children could have broken with the fino^ers in a moment ! Oh, how much sometimes hangs on little things ! And this is just what I am wishing to show to these children ; that great results do often hang on little things. Two men were at work together one day in a ship-yard. They were hewing a stick of timber to put mto a ship. It was a small stick, and not worth much. As they cut off the chips, they found a worm, a little worm, about half an inch long. " This stick is wormy," said one ; " shall we put it in ?" " I do not know ; yes, 1 think it may go in. It will never be seen, of course." " Yes, but there may be other worms in it ; and these may increase and injure the ship." "No, I think not. To be sure, it is not worth much ; yet I do not wish to lose it. But come. I.ECT. 10.1 LITTLE THING? 179 The leaky shio. never mind I lie worm ; we have seen but one , — put it in." The stick was accordingly put in. The ship was finished, and as she was hiunched off into the waters, all ready for the seas, she looked beautiful as the swan when the breeze ruffles his white, feathered bosom, as he sits on the waters. She went to sea, and for a number of years did well. But it was found, on a distant voyage, that she grew^ w^eak and rotten. Her timbers were found all eaten away by the worms. But the captain thought he would try to get her home. He had a great, costly load of goods in the ship, such as silks, crapes, and the like, and a great many peo- ple. On their way home, a storm gathered. The ship for a while climbed up the high waves, and then plunged down, creaking, and rolling finely. But she then sprang a-leak. They had two pumps, and the men worked at them day and night ; but the water came in faster than they could pump it ISO Ll'tTI.E THINGS. [Lf.ct. 10. Tlie result. The child and llie acorn. out. She filled with water ; and she went down under the dark, blue waters of the ocean, with all the goods and all the people on board. Every one perished. Oh, how many wives, and mothers, and children, mourned over husbands, and sons, and fathers, for whose return they were waiting, and who never returned I And all, all this, probably, because that little stick of timber, with the worm in it, was put in, when the ship was built ! How much property, and how many lives, may be de- stroyed by a little \^ orm ! Aiid how much evil may a man do, when he does a small wrong, as that man did who put the wormy timber in the ship ! Suppose a little boy were walking out in the fields on some fair day of autumn. As he bounds along, he sees something on the ground, which looks round and smooth, like a little egg. Ho picks it up. It is an acorn. He carries it a little while, and then throws it away. It is a small af- LECT. 10.] LITTLE THLNGS. 18 J The oak. The result. fair, and useless. He forgets it entirely. The poor little acorn lies forgotten. The ox comes along, and treads it in the ground without ever knowing it. It lies and sleeps there in the ox- track during the cold winter. In the spring, it swells. The little sprout peeps out ; a root grows down, and two little leaves open on the top of the ground. It lives and grows. During a hun- dred years it grows, while men live and die, and while many a storm beats upon it. It is now a giant oak. It is made into a mighty ship, and laden with goods ; she sails round the world, and does her errands at many hundreds of places. She bears the flag of her nation on her mast, and her nation is honored for her sake. What great things may spring from small ones ! Who would have thought that such a little thhig could contain the mighty oak in it ? Besides this, that one tree bears acorns enough, every year, to raise a thousand mort oaks ; and these, every year, bear 182 LITTLE THINGS. [Lixt. 10. Lie:ht-house removed. enough to rear ten thousand more. Thus a whole forest may be shut up in the little bud of a single acorn. What great things may be found in little things ! I wish to have you see this so clearly, that you cannot forget it, because it will be of great use to you, all the way through life, if remembered. In a dark night, there was once a ship coming into one of our harbors. She had been to India on a long voyage, and had been gone a year or two. She had a very costly cargo, or load, on board. The captain and all in her were hoping and expecting soon to see their friends, and their homes. The sailors had brought out their best clothes, and were clean and neat. As they came bounding along over the foaming waters, and drew near to the land, the captain told a man to go up to the top of the mast, and " look out for the light- house." The light-house is a high, round kind of a tower, huilt out on the points of the land, with LscT. 10 ] LITTLE THINGS. J S3 A little mistake. great lamps lighted every night in its top, so that vessels may see it before they get too near the land. This light-house stood at the entrance of the harbor. Pretty soon, the man cried out, " Light ahead!" Then they all rejoiced, and knew they were near the harbor. Now, while they had been gone, this light- house had been removed to another place. But the captain knew nothing about that. So they kept sailing in what, they supposed, was the old way. In a short time, the man at the mast-head cries out, " Breakers ahead ! " that is, rocks just before us, and the ship is just on them. The captain just cast his eye out on the dark waters, and saw the white foam of the rocks. -v-In a mo- ment, he cries out, " Starboard the helm." Now, see how much may hang on one little word. The man at the helm mistook the word, and thought the captain said, " Larboard the helm." So he turned it the wrong way. It was done in 184 LITTLE THINGS. [Llct.IO Ship cuid lives lost. Result. a moment, in the twinkling of an eje. But ii was turned the wrong way ; and the ship struck on the rocks the next moment, and was dashed in a thousand pieces. The cargo was lost, and every soul on board, except one or two, were drowned. All this hung upon one little word, one little mistake. If that word had been under- stood rights she would not have been lost. One single mistake, small as it seemed to be, brought about all this ruin and death. Do you not see how plain it is, that great results may turn upon very small things ? One moment of time turned the scale, and property and lives all go down into the deep. There the goods are destroyed, and there the human beings sleep till the great morning of the resurrection-day. In the new country, that is, in those new states where the great forests are not cut down, and where only a few people live, the fire some- times, when it is dry in the autumn, gets into Lect. 10.] LITTLE THINGS. 185 Great fires in the forest. Little boy playing wiih fire. the woods. It burns the dry leaves, the dry limbs and twigs, and dry trees, and even the green trees. Sometimes it gets so hot, that no- body can go near it. It leaps from tree to tree, burning and crackling, and rushing on like a fierce army in battle. A thousand war-horses could not make more noise ; and, in the night, it throws up its flames, and is seen a great way off. Sometimes it goes almost a hundred miles before it can be stopped. Now, see what this has to do with my Lecture. A little boy was playing one day just at the edge of the woods. His mother was gone ; and though he knew it was wrong, yet he went into the house, and brought out some fire. He felt that it was wrong, but thought that nobody VNould ever know it. He played with the fire awhih;, and it did no hurt. At length, the v^ ind blew a spark into the woods, and the dry leaves caught — they blazed — the whole woods were on 186 LliTLE THINGS. [Lect. 10. The spark caught. fire. On the fire went, kindled into a great flame, raging and burning all before it. For whole days, and even weeks, it roared and raged without hurting any body. But one day, when the wind blew hard, it burned on faster and more awfully. And, as it swept through the forest, it passed by a small, new house, which a poor man had just built, almost in the middle of the forest, on some land which he had just bought. I'he man was gone away. When at a great distance, he saw the fire, and hastened home as fast as possible. But, oh, what a sight ! I'lie woods were all burned black. Not a leaf **as left. They looked like a funeral. His little house and barn were burned up, and, what was worse, his faithful wife and little child — all were burned up. On the spot where he left them hap- py in the morning, nothing was left but a pile of smoking ashes. All this, all this, because that little boy dis- LrcT 10] LITTLE THINGS. l87 The mother of Mohammed. Tlie consequence. obeyed his mother, and played with lire ! All this from one little spark of fire ! How much, how very much, may hang on little things! Let me give you one example more. Almost twelve hundred years ago, in a distant country, there was a mother with an hifant in her arms. She was not a Christian mother. Now, it would seem as if that little infant was of no conse- quence. Ten thousand such might die, and the world would hardly know it. It would seem, too, as if it was of no great consequence whether or not that child be instructed about God and Jesus Christ, and be taught to serve God. He was not so taught. What was the result ? He grew up, became a man, made a new religion, which is called Mohanmu^danism. He taught peoj)le to believe the most foolish and wicked lies, and to practise the most wicked things. He made them believe that he was a ])rophet of God, and that God would be pleased to have 188 LITTLE THINfiS. [Lect. 10. How il is with these ciiildreii. them kill every body on earth \^'ho will not be- lieve Mohammedanism. They are a most bloody, cruel, wicked peo})le. Millions of such have lived, and are now living. And what is worse than all, God says that he will cast them all away into hell forever and ever. Read the 19th chapter of Revelation, and see what an awful doom is before them. Now, all this seemed to turn upon the point, whether that little infant should be taught to be a Christian or not. Had he belonged to a Sab- bath School, and been taught as you are taught, I do believe he would never have told such wick- ed lies, and led away millions of men after him, who will perish forever. Wicked man ! he lived only to do mischief, and began a great evil, which has not yet been checked. How thank- ful ought you to be, who have Christian mothers to watch over you, to pray for you, and to teach )ou from the Bible ! Else you might not only Lect. 10 j LITTLE THINGS. 189 What the sul>ject teaches. The tongue. live in vain, but be lost, and be the means of leading others to eternal ruin. How much good or evil may hang on a single child ! Let me, now, my dear children, tell you what this subject ought to teach you. Let me show you what the great truth, that great results may hang on little things, should teach you. 1 . Be careful what you say. The tongue is a little member; but it does immense evil. Let a child drop one wicked word, and another may catch it, and remember it, and follow the example, and become a wicked child and a wicked man. Let a child tell one lie, and he may thus begin a course of lying which will ruin him for this life and the next. Says a good man, speaking of his dear child, then in the grave, " When he was about three years old, an aged female, at whose house he was staying for a day, informed me that William had told a false- hood. I was thunder-struck, and almost distract- J90 LITTLE THINGS. [Lkct. 10. The child did not tell a lie. ed ; for the information seemed to blast mj mosi cherished hopes. This might, 1 thought, be the commencement of a series of evils forever ruinous to our peace. I am not sure that my agony, on hearing of his death, was much more intense than that which I then endured, from an apprehension of his guilt. Instantly, but without betraying my emotions, I asked him what he had said. He answered, at once, in so artless a manner, as to convince me that my boy was yet innocent. I pursued the inquiry, and, in a few moments, found, to my inexpressible joy, that he was perfectly correct in all he had stated." You see how a good father abhors a single lie. God abhors it much more. And one lie will lead to others; one wicked word to others ; one foolish word to others. Rememljer that God hears every word, and will call you to an account for every word, ai the great day of judgment. Lrct. 10] LITTLE THINGS. 191 Company. Every ilay. 2. Be careful what company you keep. You may think of God, and think you will Berve him; but one half hour spent in wicked company will drive all that is good far from you. You may hear a wicked word which you never heard before. Where did these children ever hear wicked words? Did their parents teach them these words ? No. But you learned every one of them in bad company. Where did you learn wicked thoughts ? Surely, no where but in bad company. One wicked boy may spoil many more. He may spoil their manners, spoil their language, spoil their innocent feelings, spoil their obedience to God and to their parents. See to it, that you are not thus spoiled. When you hear one word from any body, which you feel that your parents would not say, be sure that is bad company. Flee from it at once. 3. Be careful to fear God and live for him every day. 12 192 LITTLE THLNGS. [Lect. 10. The litlle stream. Every child can easily form habits of sin. The} are formed very easily indeed. One day spent without thinking of God, or praying to him, will prepare for another. One Sabbath broken, will fit you to break another. One day spent in sin, will only fit your heart for sin to dwell in. Would you dig away the dam which keeps in the great mill-pond ? You need only dig a little place, and let out a little tream, and the whole will rush through after it. There may be multitudes lost forever, whose ruin might be traced back to their conduct on a single day. 4. Be careful what you do. Do you see a thing which you want, but which is not yours ? Do not covet it ; for you may thus begin those covetous feelings which will keep you out of heaven Had Judas not coveted the first thing which he did covet, he would never have been so wicked as to sell the blessed Redeemer. Does your eye see something which you want Lect. 10] LITTLE THINGS. 193 The last thing laiiglit by tliis suhjecl. and does vour little hand want to stretch itself out, and take it ? Oh, do it not. do it not ! This is stealing. And this may lead jou on till you are a thief, till you are shut up in the dungeon, and shut up in hell. Remember that you ought not to do any thing, upon which you cannot go and ask the blessing of God in prayer. The eye of the great God is ever upon you ; and your eternitv may hang upon the conduct of an hour. Remem ber this, and be afraid to sin. Amen. 194 LECTURE XI. FRAGMENTS ALL TO BE SAVED. Gather up the fragments that remain^ that nothing be losL^^ John 6. 12. Contents. — The goldsmith's shop. The mountains weighed. The stara named. The little gleaners. Christ feeding the multitude. Wrong to waste things. Wrong to waste money. The deep river. Brimstone matches. The expensive drink. Hamilton's duel. Life wasted. The sailor's dream. The ring. The ring lost. Burning mountains. The ring recovered. The dream supposed to be true and real. Limbs lost. The Bible wasted. The mind ruined. Six things seen. I he soul — the SOUL. I SUPPOSE most of these children have been into the shop of a goldsmith. A goldsmith is a man who works in gold, and makes beads, and rings, and other things, out of gold. If jou have ever been in such a shop, did you see the man work at the gold ? What fine and beautiful tools he has ! what little saws, and files, and drills to bore with ! And then he is very careful not to waste any gold. When he files it, or bores it, he is very careful to have a fine, soft brush, with which to Lect. ll.J FRAGMENTS SAVED. 195 Tlie mountains weighed. sweep up every grain of gold, even the smallest and finest dust. He is verj careful not to lose any fragments. Did you ever read the 40th chapter of Isaiah ? How wonderfully is the great God described there ! When he spread out the mighty heavens over our heads, " he measured " them, so as not to have them too large or too small. When he made the great waters, he " measured " them, so as not to have a drop too much or too little. When he made the hills and the lofty mountains, he '' weighed the mountains in a scale, and the hills in a balance," so as to have not a grain of sand, or a single atom, too much or too little ; not because God has not water enough, and ground enough, l)ut because he would teach us to ivaste nothing. Every fragment must be saved and used. Go out, on some bright, star-light evening, and look up. What a multitude of stars ! How thick they are ! If many of them should go out 196 FRAGMENTS SAVED. [Lect 11 The stars named. forever, we should not know it. And if new stars were to be added to them, we should not know it. Thej maj seem useless to us. We eainiot count them. But God knows every one, and has not made one too many nor one too few. David says, " He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names." What a family ! Ail have names, and all *' Forever singing, as they shine, * The hand that made us is divine ! ' " Have these children never been out in the time of harvest, and seen the men reap the wheat and rye ? They cut down the waving grain with the greatest care, and then bind it in bundles, and then carefully cany it home on the cart. They try not to lose any, because every kernel will make a little flour. But after all their care, they do lose some. Some heads of wheat do droj) out, and some kernels will shell out. God knew this Lect. 11.] FRAGMENTS SAVED. 197 The little gleaners. Christ feeding the multitude. would be so. . But he would have nothing lost ; and so he has made " the little gleaners," such as the little bird and the squirrel, to follow the har- vest, and pick up the fragments, that nothing be lost. So Jesus Christ teaches us. He preachea out in the open fields, for he had no meeting- house ; and, if he had, it would not have held half who wanted to hear him preach. A great many thousands followed him ; and vvhen he had taught them for a si'eat while, and found that, under the hot sun, they were weary and hungry, he had them sit down on the grass in companies. I suppose this was so that neighbors and friends might sit together, and, also, so that they might be counted. He blessed the bread, which was only five loaves, and the fishes, which were only two little ones ; and they all ate enough. One loaf of bread was enough for a thousand people, after Christ had blessed it. After they had done 198 FRAGMENTS SAVED. [Lect. U Wronj^ lo waste things. eating, he told the dis('i})les to gather up the fragments, that nothing be lost. So they gather- ed up the pieces and the crumbs, and had each of them a basket full. Now, Christ could have made bread enough to feed the world. He does make enough for every mouth every year. And he could make it at any time. But he would have nothing lost. The twelve baskets of frag- ments would do for the poor, and do for the disciples at another time. You see what I am teaching you in this Lecture. It is, that it is wrong to waste any thing. Give me your thoughts, and follow what I say, and see if it be not so. Shall I have your close attention.^ Yes. I see, by the looks of every little boy and every little girl, that I shall. Suppose you know of a narrow river, where the waters are dark, and almost black. They are deep, too — so deep that no one, with the Lect. 11] FRAGMENTS SAVED. 199 Wrong to waste money. The deep rivrr. longest pole, can reach the bottom. The stream runs swift, too ; so that, if you drop any thing into that river, it sinks, and can never be found again. Now, suppose, just on the bank of this river, a little way back, there is a little cottage. It is very small. And in it is a poor widow and five or six little children. The woman is sick and poor, and can neither work nor buy food for her hungry children. She is in great distress. Suppose a man lives not far off, who has money, a great deal of money. He hardly knows what to do with it. So, every night, he comes just before that cottage, where the poor children are crying for food, and there drops a dollar into that river. It sinks, and is lost forever. To-morrow night he will do so again, and so every night, while that wretched family are starving. Now, does he not do wrong ? Has he a right thus to drop his money into the river, and let pooi children suffer ? No. no ; he has no right to do 200 FRAGMENTS SAVED. [Lect. 11. The brimstone inaiclies it. .But suppose, instead of throwing it in the river, he spends it for something which he does not want, and which will do him no good. Is this right? No. It is wasted, even then. Sup- pose he spends it for something fine and showy, but which is really of no use. Is that right? No. It is still wasted. You see, then, that it is wrong to waste money, when people are starving. A Bible can be printed and bound, and sent to a poor family, or to a poor child who has none, for fifty cents. Some gentlemen went out, one day, to ask such as choose to give, for money, in order to send the Bible to the heathen, who have none. They went to one house and another, and at last went up to a house to go in, where they were not acquainted. As they stopped on the door- steps, they overheard the gentleman of the house talking to a girl in the kitchen for wasting a new match every time she wanted to light a candle. This, they thought, was real stinginess Lkct. II.] FRAGiMENTS SAVED. 201 The expensive drink. " Let us go," says one ; " we shall get nothing here. A man who scolds about a mateh will never give any thing." " We can but try," said the other. They went in, and told their errand. The gentleman took out his purse, and gave them more than any one had done, enough to send a hundred Bibles to the heathen. They were as- tonished at his giving so much. They told him how they had overheard him talking about the match, and did not expect any thing from him. " Oh, this is the very reason," said the gentle- man, " why I can give so much to send the Bible. I allow nothing to be wasted, and thus, by saving all, 1 have money with which to do good." But people love to spend their money for handsome and fine things, rather than use it to send the Bible to those who have not any Bible. I know they do. But do they do right ? Sup- pose there is a kind of drink that you love verj 205i FRAGMENTS SAVED. [Lect. li. Hamilton's duel. much. It tastes so good, you could drink a \^ hole tumbler full ;-^^but this drink, though il does not hurt you now, will, in the end, shorten your life one minute for every drop you taste ; one minute for every drop ; one hour for every tea-spoon full ; one year for every tumbler full. Would it be right for you to drink this awful drink, though you do love it ? No. No. You know it would not be right. You have no right to waste your own life. You may not throw away a year, nor a fragment. All must be gath- ered up. Nor have you a right to waste money because you love the useless things which it will buy, any more than to waste life by such a mis- erable drink. There was once a man by the name of Ham- ilton. He was a great man, a friend of Wash- ington, a friend to his country, and a man who was greatly respected and beloved. But in an evil hour he engaged to fight a duel. It was with Lbci. II.] FRAGMENTS SAVED. 20^ Life wasted. Tlie sailor's dream. a man who never missed his aim, and, therefore, Hamilton felt certain that he should be killed He told no one. But the evening before, he went to the flower shop, and bought a beautiful bunch of flowers for his wife, and for each of his children. These he carried home, and gave them the evening before the duel. They took them with smiles, little thinkin;::; that on the morrow their dear father would be brought home to die. He bade them good night ; and the next morning, before any of them had risen, he had fought the duel, and was brought home wounded, and was soon to die. I cannot tell you how that family felt. But I can ask you a question here ; was it right for this man thus to throw away his life t He had a right to gather the beautiful roses, and carry them home to wither ; but he had no right to fight a duel, and lose his life. When John Newton was a common sailor, and very wicked, he tells us he hid this remarkable iream. "The scene [)resented to my imaginaiioD 204 FRAGMENTS SAVED. [Lect 11. The ring. v\as the harbor of Venice, where \A'e had lately l)een. I thought it was night, and my watch up- on the deck ; and that, as I was walking to and fro by myself, a person came to me (I do not re- m'^mber from whence), and brought me a ring, with an express charge to keep it carefully ; as- suring me that, while I preserved that ring, I should be happy and successful ; but if I lost or parted with it, I must expect nothing but trouble and misery. I accepted the present and the terms willingly, not in the least doubting my own care to preserve it, and highly satisfied to have my happiness in my own keeping. I was eng^a- ged in these thoughts, when a second person came to me, and, observing the ring on my fin- ger, took occasion to ask me some questions con- ccming it. 1 readily told him its virtues; and his answer expressed a surprise at my w^eakness, in expecting such effects from a ring. ! think he reasoned with me some time upon the impossibil- ity of the thing ; and at length he urged me in Lect 11.] FRAGMENTS SAVED. 205 The ring thrown away. • Tlie burning mountains. direct terms to throw it away. At first I was shocked at the proposal ; but his insinuations prevaik^d. I began to reason and doubt, and at last plucked it off my finger, and dropped it over the ship's side into the water, which it had no sooner touched, than I saw, at the same instant, a terrible fire burst out from a range of moun- tains (a part of the Alps), which appeared at some distance behind the city of Venice. I saw the hills as distinct as if awake, and that they were all in flames. I perceived, too late, my folly; and my tempter, with an air of insult, in- formed me, that all the mercy God had in reserve for me was comprised in that ring, which I had wilfully thrown away. 1 understood that I must go with him to the burning mountains, and that all the flames I saw were kindled on my account. 1 trembled, and was in great agony; so that it was surprising I did not then awake ; but my dream continued, and when I thought myself on Jie point of a constrained departure, and stood 2C6 FRAGMENTS SAVED. [Lect. 11. Tlie ringr recovered. self-condemned, without plea or hope, suddenly either a third person, or the same who brought me the ring at first (I am not certain which), came to me, and demanded the cause of my grief. I told him the plain case, confesshig that I had ru- ined myself wilfully, and deserved no pity. He blamed my rashness, and asked if 1 should be wiser, supposing I had my ring again .^ I could hardly answer to this, for I thought it was gone beyond recall. I believe, indeed, I had no time to answer, before I saw this unexpected friend go down under the water, just in the spot where I had dropped it, and soon returned, bringing the ring with him I The moment he came on board, the flames in the mountains ceased, and my se- ducer left me. Then was * the prey taken from the hand of the mighty, and the lawful captive delivered.' My fears were at an end, and, with joy and gratitude, I approached my kind deliverer to receive the ring again ; but he refused to re- ciirn it, and spoke to this effect : ' If you should Lect. It.) FRAGMENTS SAVED. 201 Suppose the dream true and real. be intrusted with this ring again, you would very soon bring yourself into the same distress. ^You are not able to keep it, but I will preserve it for you, and whenever it is needful, will produce it in your behalf.' Upon this I awoke in a state of mind not to be described." This was a dream; but had it been leal, and had the ring been a real ring, and able to make him happy as long as he kept it, I ask you, if he would not have done wrong, and have been very wicked, in throwing it away into the sea ? I know you will say. Yes. Had all of these dear children a ring put on their first finger, which could make them happy as long as they kept it, would they not be foolish, and wicked, to throw it away ? Suppose you had such a ring, and, as you went home, you should meet with a wicked child, who should try to persuade you to throw it away, — would you not do wrong to listen to him a single moment ? 13 208 FRAGMENTS SAVED. [Lect. 11 Limbs lost. The Bible wasted. Suppose that you are very fond of a certain kind of food. It does not hurt you now, but some time hence it will hurt you. It will cause you to lose a finger, and then an arm, and then a foot. Would it be right for you to eat it, though you were fond of it ? You all say. No, it would not be right. Our hands, and our arms, and our feet, are too valuable to be wasted in this manner. If each of you had a beautiful new Bible given you, and it was the only one you could ever have in this world, would it not be wrong to throw it away.^ Would it not be wrong to tear out its leaves and burn them ^ Would it not be wrong to take a pen and blot out whole verses, so that you could not read them ? Yes, I am sure you will all say, yes, it would be wrong. And why ? Because the Bible is too valuable to be wasted. Suppose you know of a fine little boy, who behaves well, and learns well, and who has a bright eye, and a bright mind looking out of that eye. He is the hope of his parents. He may Lkct. Il-l FRAGMEiNTS SAVED. 209 The mind ruined. Six thing's seen. make a minister of the gospel, or a very useful man, if he lives. And suppose that two or three of these children should get together and lay a plan to scare that little boy on some dark night. I'hey do it. They scare the poor child so much that he loses his reason, and will be crazy all the rest of his life ! 1 ask you, would not this be very wicked, very wrong ? I know you will say, Yes, yes. And why.^ Because the mind is too valuable to be thus wasted and destroyed in sport. Very true. Now, if you have heard what I have been say- ing, you see, 1. That it is wrong to w^sXe property, because it is too valuable. Christ would not allow the ciumbs to be wasted. Property will feed and clothe the poor, and send the Bible to those who have none. 2. That it is wrong to waste our lives, — be- cause life is too valuable to be thrown awav. 3. That it is wrong to waste our happiness, — *t is too precious. 210 FRAGMENTS SAVED. [Lect li The SOUL — the soul. 4. That it is wrong to waste our limbs, sudi as hands and feet. 5. That it would oe wrong to waste and throw away the Bible, or any part of it. 6. That it would be very wrong to destroy tlie mind, even of a child, because the mind is too valuable to be wasted. And now, dear children, w^hat shall I say to you of the soul — the soul — which will never die? If it be wrong to waste other things, is it not much more so to throw away your thoughts, your feelings, and, at last, your soul itself? Oh, you may be careful of property, and of life, and happiness, and limbs, and the Bible, and the mind ; but if you neglect the soul, and do not see to that, you are miserable forever. All other things are nothing, of no value, when laid by the side of the soul. I beg you, then, as you gather up the fragments about the soul, not to forget and neg- lect the soul itself. That must live forever Amen. 211 LECTURE XII. IHE SABBATH TO BE KEPT HOLY. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. — Ex. 20. 8. Contents. — Picture-books. Parables of Christ. A new parable. Tlie offer. The wreck of the ship. The Like-Boat. Life-boat in use. The parable explained. The foolish excuses. Who would be a thief ? The poor beggar. The house broken open. Little thieves. What makes peo- ple poor. A strong reason. Story by the Author. Duly put off. The school not together. The foolish superstition. What makes a man stupid ? The corpse. Mill going on the Sabbath. Fiittle boy crushed by the whee!. Sad thoughts. Scene remembered. Instruction. Poetry. Conclusion Children, your little books are full of pictures. One has in it the picture of a horse ; another a house, trees, rivers, birds, and hills. Suppose I wanted to make a little boy understand about a lion, how he looks, how he acts, and the like. What would be the best way ? The best way would be to lead him out, and le\ him see a lion. But if I could not do it, the next best way would be to show him the picture of a lion. This picture 212 THE SABBATH. [Lect. 12 Panibles of Christ. A new parable. would give him a better iden of it than any thing I could tell him about a lion. Just so Jesus Christ used to preach, fie used to tt^ach in parables, which are a kind of picture- preaching. In this way, he used to make things plain and very interesting to those who heard him. Now, I am going to give you a parable. Try and see if you can understand it, and remember it. There was once a good man w ho was very rich. 1 cannot stop to tell you all the good things which he did, but will mention only one. He built a large and beautiful ship all at his own expense. He fitted up the ship w ith a Pilot who knew the coast, and a helm by which to steer her, and a compass to point out the way they were sailing. She had every thing ready. He then called his friends to- gether, and said, " See, here is a beautiful ship, filled w^ith costly goods, and all fitted and ready to sail. Every thinoj is ready. You may have her, and have every thing on board. You may go and trade Lect. 12.] THE SABBATH. 213 The offer. The wreck of the ship. where you please, on one condition. Not one of you may carry or drink a drop of ardent spirit This is the only condition I make ; and I make this, because, otherwise, you will get the ship on the rocks, and will all be lost." The men take the ship on this condition, and set sail for a distant country. They had been out on the water but a little while, before one of them brought forward some ardent spirit, which he said he had taken fo sickness, and to make him feel better, though he had no wish to disobey him who gave them the ship. So he drank ; and, one by one, they all drank, till they knew not how to manage the ship. They were intoxicated by the drink. Then came on the dark night. The cold, wet winds blew, and the whole ocean foamed and rolled up its great waves most fearfully. The ship was carried onward and onward, till she struck upon a great flat rock. Here she turned on one side, and lay, every mo- ment cr3aking, as if going to pieces. The peo- 214 THE SABBATH. [Iect. 12. The life-boat. pie on board were too much intoxicated to do anj thing. The morning comes, and it is cold, and the spray of the water, upon the poor ship, freezes in a moment, and the people are chilled, and cold, and hardly able to hold themselves where they are. They have got over their intoxication just enough to know where they are. The shore is near, but no one can get to it. The high waves roll and dash, and a boat cannot go from the shore to the ship. It would be turned over and sunk in a mo- ment. The people all gather down on the shore, and see the ship, and the freezing people on board, but cannot help them. But, look ! who is that man who hastens down to the water's side.^ It is the good man who fitted up the ship, and gave her to these people He sees they have disobeyed him, and ruined the ship, but he feels deeply for them. What is he going to do ? See there ! He has built a little boat of costly materials, and made it to hold air, p^(//^f))\\\Wii\U^^l\\(in*^\\^iii|i,l|!|ii|lli|i L«CT. 12.1 THE SABBATH. 217 Life-boat in use. and filled it with his own breath. That little boat cannot be sunk. It will live and swim any where. It is called the Life-Boat, because it can go out on the stormy water, and save the lives of perish- ing men who are shipwrecked. It is now launch- ed out on the waters ! But who is in it .^ It is the only son of that good man ! See ! it bounds and drives from wave to wave like a feather — straight to the ship ! The poor people on board gaze upon it. They are perishing! There, now, one has dropped over in the waves, and is lost! No, — the life-boat has picked him up ! One and another gets in, and the little boat shoots off over the stormy water for the shore. Again and again it comes, and will hasten backwards and forwards all day, till dark, so that all may have the oppor- tunity of getting on shore, if they please. But some are ashamed to see the face of that good man on shore, and so they hesitate, and do not get into the life-boat. They had rather perish where they are. 218 THE SABBATH. [Lect. 12. The parable explained. Now, tell me, is not that a very kind and good man ? You all say. Yes. And is not that life- boat an admirable contrivance ? You all say. Yes. And are not those who will not get into it very foolish ? Yes. Well, then, you have my parable. Do you understand it.^ The world is the ship, and God is the good man who built it, and gave it to us. We have become intoxicated with sin, are ruined, and lost. The Sabbath is the life-boat, which comes regularly from the shores of eternity, and offers to carry us near to God, and to safety. But I want to talk a little longer about this shipwreck, and this life-boat ; and I do it so that you need not forget it. He who neglects or refuses to keep the Sabbath holy, refuses to leave the wreck of the ship, and chooses to brave the storms and the ruin which will one day consume the whole world to ashes. Is this wise ? Is this safe ? Is this being grateful to God ? Suppose some one on the wreck of the ship Lbct. 12 I THE SABBATH. 219 The foolish excuses should hiugh at the little life-boat, and say, " It can never carry any one to the shore." Would it be wise to mind him ? Suppose some should say, "We are too busy, and we wish to drink a little more of that intoxicating drink, before we go." Would that be wise, and should others do like them ? Suppose others, again, should say, " We intend to go in the boat before night, but as we are ashamed to see the face of the good man whom we have disobeyed, we will not go now, but will wait awhile." Is this wise ? Is this safe ? Just so people do, who neglect to keep the Sabbath holy. They hear others speak lightl}' of religion, and so they let this life-boat come and go, once every week, and do not improve it. Or they are busy, and want to drink in more sin, and so they say, " Not now." Or they are ashamed to go and confess to God, and so they say the} ire going to improve the Sabbath, and 220 THE SABBATH [Lect. 12 Who would be a thief? The poor beggai. serve God at some time, before the night of death comes ; but are not yet ready. Is this wise ? Will you be like them ? I trust not. Who would be a thief? I suppose there is not a child present who does not think it very mean, and low, and wicked, to steal. You would despise the little boy who would put your ball or your top into his pocket, and thus steal it ; and the little girl who would put a doll or a pin-cushion in her bag, and carry it home, would be despised as mean and wicked. But suppose a poor man, who was without any home, should come to your house, almost without clothing, and very hungry. You all at once pity him. You give him food to eat, and your mother looks him up some clothing. And as he goes away, warm and comfortable, your father says to him, •' Here, poor man, here are six dollars. I have but seven in the world, and give you six of them, and will keep only the seventh for myself and Lect. 12.J THE SABBATH. 221 The house broken open. family." WDuld not this be very kind and gen- erous in your father.'' I know you all think it would. But suppose that poor man went away, not thankful in the least, and, in the night, cam(j back, and broke into your house, and stole that seve7ith and last dollar which your father has. What would he deserve ? Why, he would al- most deserve the gallows. He would be an ungrateful monster, and a vile thief. But sup- pose, also, that, in breaking into the house, to get ihe dollar, he had to kill several members of the family. W^hat now do you say ? Is any punish- ment too severe ? But take care, or you pass sentence u))on yourself. W^e are the poor man, and God has but seven days in the week. He gives us six of these, in which to " labor and do all our work," and keej)s only the seventh for himself. And the man, or the woman, or the child, who breaks the Sab- bath, steals frc m God. Yes, he robs God. And, 222 THE SABBATH. (Lect. IL Little thieves. What makes people poor. in doing it, he sets a wicked example, which kills the souls of others. Is not this stealing? Will you rt member, then, that when you break the Sabbath, you steal from God ? Are there no Httle thieves present, who have often thus stolen from God ? Now, will God bless you and pros- per you in doing so ? You see why the families who break the Sab- bath, and who do not go to meeting, are generally so poor and so miserable. It is because they steal from God every seventh day of their lives; and God will not, and does not bless them in it. Merchants who keep their counting-rooms open on the Sabbath, generally fail in business, and lose all the property they have. A gentleman took notice, in New York, for twenty-five years, that every merchant who thus broke the Sabbath, failed, without a single exception. And a great lawyer in this country, who helped to try very many for murder, says, that they all began theii wickedness by breaking the Sabbath. I.ECT. 12 ] THE SABBATH. 223 Strong reasMi. Story by llie author. 1 have a strong reason why 1 feel very anxious 10 have these children remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. And 1 will now give yon this strong reason. Many years ago, while I was in college, 1 opened a Sabbath School in a distant, neglected neighborhood, yet within the limits of the town. At first, the project was greatly ridiculed, and many opposed. But ridicule and opposition soon give way to a good cause, and in a short time 1 had seventy scholars. The room in which we met was an unfinished chamber of a poor, lame woman — the only place that was offered. The floor was not nailed down, and neither ceiling nor plaster had ever been seen in the chamber. The chimney passed up in the centre, and the bare rafters were over our heads. Yet never did 1 see brighter or happier faces than among the little groups with which I regularly met. They lived so far from meeting, that few could attend; or, 224 THE SABBATH. [Lect. 12 Duty put off. rather, their parents felt too indifferent to carry them ; so that their Sabbath School embraced all that was Sabbath to them. It is now many years since, and I suppose they have all grown up, or have been removed into eternity ere this time ; but I can never forget this, my first Sabbath School, nor the happy countenances which composed it. One hot Sabbath, I had walked out to meet my Sabbath School, and, at the close of the lessons, I felt weary and unwell. The children were ex- pecting me to give them a history of the holy Sabbath, from its first appointment, and to tell them IV hy God appointed it, and what are our duties in regard to it ; for so I had promised them, and had in fact prepared myself to do it. But, being weary and unwell, I told them that, for these reasons, I would defer it till the next Sab- bath. While thus putting it off, I noticed a bright little boy, sitting near me, who seemed to look disappointed. He had expected to liear about L«CT. 12.] THE SABBATH. 22b The school not together. fhe holy Sabbath. Oh, had I remembered how Christ taught the poor woman of Samaria, though he was weary and faint, should I not have done diflerently ? The next Sabbath came, and my school were again coming together. On arriving at the house, instead of finding them all quiet in their seats, as usual, I found them grouped around the door, some sobbing, others looking frightened — all si- lent. On inquiry, they told me that " little Lewis had just been killed by the mill ! " This was all they knew about it. At the head of my little flock, I hastened to the house where the little boy lived. At the door I was met by the father of the child, wringing his hands, his face red and swollen, his eyes sunken and glaring, and his breath loaded with the fumes of ardent spirits. " Oh," cried the man, *'I might have known it. I might have known it all ! " " Might have known what, sir ? " 14 220 THE SABBATH. [LtCT. 12 The foolish superstition. " Oh, I mio:ht have known that to-dav one of my family must go ; but I did not think, could not think, it must be my youngest boy ! " ''Pray, how might you have known that one must die to-dav ? " " Why, when I came home last evening, old Rover" (pointing to a stupid old dog that lay crouched under the table) " sat on the door-steps, with his face to the east, howling, and howling. I knew then some one — or I might have known that some one — must go to-day, but did not think It must be poor little Lewis ! " " Do you believe there is a God ? " "Oh, ves, have no doubt of it." ''And do you suppose he reveals events to a dog, a creature without a soul, and without rea- son, which he does not reveal to the wisest of men ? Nothing is more common than for a dog to howl when his master is gone, and he feels lonely ; and as to his face being towards the east, Lect. 12.] THE SABBATH. 227 What makes a man stupid. The corpse. I see nothing strange in that, since your house faces the east." <*Ah, you may say so; but I might have known it would come," — and again he turned away to sob, and 1 fear to drink, and then wonder over his being more stupid than his dog. I led my scholars into the room, v^hey seemed to breathe only from the top of their lungs. I lifted up the white napkin, and there was little Lewis — a mangled corpse ! The children were all hushed as we gazed. The little girls covered their faces with their handkerchiefs and aprons. The little boys wiped their eyes with their hands and with the sleeves of their jackets. For some weeks, it had been very dry, and the streams had become low. But during the pre- cedmg day and night, a heavy rain had fallen. A mill, on a small stream near by, which had stood still for some time for want of water, was set a- going early on Sabbath morning. I need not ask if the miller feared God. 228 THE SABBATH. [Lect. 1& Mil) going on llie Sabbath. Little boy crushed by the wheel. About an hour before the Sabbath Scliool usu- ally came together, little Lewis went down to the mill-stream to bathe. The poor boy had ne^er seen his parents keep the Sabbath holy. He swam out into the stream. The current was strong — too strong for him — he raised the cry of distress — the miller heard him and saw him, but was too much frightened to do any thing. The current swept along — the little boy struggled — again cried for help — the waters rushed on — he was sucked down under the gate — the great mill- wheel rolled round — crash ! — he was in a moment crushed and dead! Scarcely had his last cry reached the ears of the miller, before his mangled corpse came out from under the wheel. It was the same little boy ivho had looked so disappointed on the last Sabbath, because I omitted to talk about the holy Sabbath, While standing beside the lifeless clay of this fair child, with all the children about me, my Lect. 12.] THE SABBATH. 220 Sad ihoughls. Scene remembered. feelings were awful indeed. It seemed as if ev- erj child would cry out, " Oh, had you kept youf word, and told us about breaking the Sabbath, he ^ would not have gone into the water— he would not have lain there dead." It seemed as if the lips, though sealed by the hand of death, would open and reproach me. " Had I not put off my duty, probably this life would have been saved— perhaps an undying soul would have been saved from the guilt of being the everlasting enemy of God. What sacrifices would I not make, could that child once more come into my Sabbath School ! " Such were my thoughts. I have never been able to look back upon that scene without keen anguish. I have sometimes mentioned it to Sabbath School teachers, and, by it, urged them never to put off till the next Sabbath any duty which can be performed on this. And since 1 have been a minister, when I have felt weary and feeble, and tempted to put off some duty to a 230 THE SABBATH. [Lect. 2 Instruction. Poetry. more convenient season, I have recalled tnal scene to my mind ; and truly thankful shall I feel in the great judgment day, if you, my dear children, will learn from this simple story two Uiings. 1. To remember and keep holy the Sabbath day. Had that dear child only obeyed this one short text, he would not have been called to the presence of God while in the very act of sin. *' This day belongs to God alone ; He makes the Sabbath for his own ; And we must neither work nor play Upon God's holy Sabbath day. 'Tis well to have one day in seven, That we may learn the way to heaven ; Or else we never should have thounrht About his worship as we ought. And every Sabbath should be passed As if we knew it were our last; For what would dying people give To have one Sabbath more to live I " Le(t. I2.J THE SABBATH. 231 Conclusion. 2. Never to put off any duty, or any opjjortu- iiity to do good, because you do not Teel like doing it now. You may never have the opportu- nity again. Should you live and grow up, I have no doubt but you will be prospered and happy, that you will be respected and useful, very much as you keep the Sabbath. God will honor those whc honor him. He does not ask us even to open the doors of his house for nothing ; no, he will repay us in this life, and in the life to come, with ever- lasting blessings. May all these great rewards be yours, my dear children, by your keeping his commandments. Amen. 232 1. ECTURE XIII. THE GRAVE LOSING ITS VICTORY. O grave, where is thy victory 1 — I Cor. 15. 55. Contents. — Vapor of morning. Garden flowers. Wljat is a buoy? The drowning man clinging to the buoy. Morning alter tiie storm. Who must die. The twins. Beautiful poetry. Who can die happy ? My sister's grave — and the two little boys. Reflections in a grave-yard. The soul lives a!\er the body dies. The humming-bird. The island. The adven- turer— his return — his tidings — ^his death. Meaning of the story. The Christian's death. Angels' conversation. Beautiful description of heaven. Conclusion. The Bible, my dear children, talks a great deal about the shortness of our lives. 4Did you ever get up in some October morning, and see a thick vapor or fog hanging over the wide mead- ows and fields ? You could not see a man, or even a great tree, at a little distance, the fog was so thick. But go out a few hours afterwards, when the sun is up, and where is all this vapor gone ? ^ \t is all melted away, and has left no Lkct. 13.] THE GRAVE. 233 Garden Bowers. mark on any thing. Such, the Bible says, is the life of man. You may look upon a great congregation to-day, and see the street full of people, and in a few short years they are all gone — and forgotten, like the vapor. Did you ever walk along the street, and stop and look into a garden, and admire the beautiful flowers which were waving in rows each side of the alley ? I presume you have. What colors ! How many kinds ! See that tulip — that pink — that rose ! How beautiful ! But wait a few short months, and then stop there again. Where now are those flowers ? All faded and gone ; all dead and passed away. Just so, says the Bible, do we all, even the fairest among men, die and pass away as the flower. Now, why do men all die ? Do they wish to die ? No, far from it. Let any man be sick, and be in danger of dying, and what will he not do, rather than die ? Why, he will swallow as much 234 THE GRAVE. [Lect. 15. What is a buoy ? bitter, disgusting medicine as the doctor wishes him to. He will let him cut off his arm or his leg, or cut out his eye, — or do any thing, if he may only live. Men had rather do any thing than die. For the most part, they are unwilHng even to think of death, and contrive to think of ten thousand things rather than that. Do you know what a buoy is ? 1 will tell you. When a river runs into the sea, the bed in which it runs along is called the channel ; and at the place where it goes into the sea, the water is deeper in the channel than any where else; so that, when vessels would go up a river from the great sea, they try to keep in the channel, so as to be in deep water. But how shall they know where the channel is ? In this way. The peo- ple who know where the channel is, take a great stone, and tie a rope to it, and let it sink just in the middle of the channel. At the other end of the rope is a large, round, pine stick, or log, tied Lect. 13.1 THE GRAVE. 235 The di owning man clinging to the buoy. Ihis log floats upon the water, and is held hi its place by the stone at the bottom. Well, this log is called a buoy^ and the sailors steer just along- side ol* the buoys, when they would go safe. During an awfully stormy day, a vessel was seen coming towards the shore. The men could not manage her. The people on shore saw her, but could do nothing. There were some great rocks out from the shore, a mile or two ; and on- ward she drove towards those rocks. Soon she was on thiem — dash — and was split all in pieces. The people on shore could see it all, but had no life-boat, nor any means by which to help them. Were the poor sailors all drowned ? No, — there was one poor fellow who floated awhile. They watch him. All the rest are gone. Now he tries to swim a little. There ! he has caught hold of a buoy^ and clings to it for life. O, if they could only get to him! but they cannot. There he hangs, and rises and falls on each w^ave — still 236 THE GRAVE. [Leci. 13 Morninsf after the storm. clinging to the buoy. Is he willing to die ? No, he would hang there years, if he could, rather than to die. And now it is night ; the sun goes down ; the darkness begins to come over the dark waters ; and the people sigh, and begin to go home, leaving the poor sailor still holding on to the buoy for his life. One by one they go away, and then turn, and turn round again, to see if they can see him. The last man now goes : it is dark, and he turns and looks. Can he see the buoy and the man ? No ! — ^yes, yes, he is still there ! They go to their homes ; they pray for that poor sailor ; they dream about him ; they think much of him. The morning comes. The sun rises fair, and the people had hastened down as soon as the light broke in the east, to see if the poor man was there. The storm had gone past, and the buoy was still floating there. But where was the sail- or ? Ah, he was gone, gone to the bottom, and will be seen ud more till the resurrection day. Lect. J3] the grave. 237 Who must die ? Is it not plain, that we know that every body dreads to die ? Why, then, must every body die ? The Bible tells us, *' Death hath passed upon all men, in that all have sinned." Yes, all are sin- ners, and must therefore die. The old, gray- headed man must soon go. Death will not re- spect his silver locks. He W'ill put him in the grave. The man in middle-life is cut down, too, though wife and children may weep and pray against it. The fair youth and the sweet child are not spared ; and I think I have never had my heart more affected, than when called to attend the funeral of children. 1 have seen them in the coffin, when they looked so fair and beautiful, that it seemed hard to bury them up in the ground. 'I'he beautiful lines which I am now about to read you, very accurately describe what ministers nmst often see. They describe two little twin babes, dead, and in the coffin, and the mother bending over it, and looking upon them through her tears. 838 THE GRAVE. [L.ect. 15 The twins. Beautiful poetry. *' 'Twas summer, and a Sabbath eve, And balmy was the air : I saw a sight which made me grieve — And yet the sight was fair — Within a little coffin lay Two lifeless babes, as sweet as May. Like waxen dolls, which infants dress, Their little bodies were ; A look of placid happiness Did on each face appear. And in the coffin, short and wide, They lay together, side by side. A rose-bud, nearly closed, I found Each little hand within. And many a pink was strewed around, With sprigs of jessamine ; And yet the flowers that round them la) Were not to me more fair than they. Their mother, as a lily pale. Sat by them on a bed, And, bending o'er them, told her tale, And many a tear she shed ; Yet oft she cried, :miidst her pain, * My babes and T shall meet affain ! ' " i.ECT. 13. J THE gravt: 239 Who can die ha|)|)y ? Do you know what it was that ^ave comfort to this weeping mother, as she saw her dear twin l)abes in the coffin ? It was the hope of the gos- pel ; — hope, that Jesus Christ would watch over them in the grave, and at last raise them from the long sleep of death, and that she would be allowed to meet them again in heaven, to part from them no more. Yes, the gospel of Christ gives us that blessed hope. '' 1 heard a voice from heaven saying, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord ; yea, saith the Spirit, from henceforth, for they rest from their labors, and their works do follow them." For this reason, we cannot go and stand by the grave of a Christian, without having hope spring up in the breast. It may be the grave of some dear friend ; but if he died a Chris- tian, we feel that Christ will one day come to ihat grave, and awake his sleeping disciple. A short time since, just at sunset, on a sum- mer's day, 1 went to the grave of a dear sister of 240 THE GRAVE. [Lect. 13 My sister's grave— and the two little boys. mine. Her two little boys went with me. When we had arrived there, I saw four little rose-bushes standing, two at the head and two at the foot of the grave, bending over, as if to meet and hang over the grave. *'That is her grave — our mother's grave," said one of the boys. ''And those rose-bushes" — said I, as the tears started in my eyes, — "Those," said the eldest, ''brother and I, and father, set out soon after she was laid there. Those two at the head she planted in the garden herself, and we took them up, and set them there, and call them " mother's bushes." " And what do you remember about your dear mother, my boys ? " " Oh, every thing." "What, in particular?" " 0/?, this^ uncle, that there never was a day since I can remember, in which she did not take us to her Lect. 13.] THE GRAVE. 241 Reflections in a grave-yard. closet^ and pray with us, unless she teas sick on (he bed r' Never did that sister seem so dear to me as at that moment ; and never did my heart feel so full a hope in the words which were engraved on the tomb-stone — "No mortal woes Can reach the peaceful sleeper here, While angels watch her soft repose." Dear children, you and I must die, because we are sinners. V And every grave that is dug and filled up, is a new monument to show that men are all sinners. Men sometimes are so foolish as to deny that there ever was a flood, which drown- ed all the world in a few days ',4 but they cannot deny that death now sweeps off the whole world once in about thirty years. Go to that grave- yard yonder. How full of graves ! You tread on some sleeper at every step. " Who slew all these ? " Suppose you should go to a great pris- 15 242 THE GRAVE. [Lect. 13 Reflections in a grave-yard. ^ on, full of little cells, and every cell had a pris- oner chained in it, and the number was as great as the number of graves in that grave-yard. Would you not think to yourself, " Here must be a great deal of guilt and sin, in order to fill all these cells ? " And the grave-yard is the prison- house where God has confined so many prisoners. There is no grave in heaven, and there never would have been one on earth, had it not been for sin. What a beautiful piece of w^orkmanship is de- stroyed when one of these children die ! The hands hang motionless ; the bright eye is closed and dull in darkness ; the fresn cheek is pale and cold ; the tongue is silent ; and the whole body, like a broken vessel, is in ruins. But we may re- joice that the disciple of Christ may go shouting into the grave, '' O grave, where is thy victory ? " Christ himself has been in it, and sanctified it, and ilessed it Besides, the grave can only receive I.ECT. 13.] THE GRAVE. 243 The soul lives aflCi* the body dies. The humming-bird. ind claim the poorer part of us. It only takes the body ; while the soul, the immortal part, es- capes its power. You know you can seem to see things when the eye is shut, and you dream of things when asleep. And so the soul can live, and think, and act, when the body is in the grave. Yon will sleep in the grave a long, long time, but not always. God can, and will raise up the body again. He is able. Do you see that beautiful little humming-bird dancing from flower to flower, like a spirit of flowers ? He was once confined to the little mummy shell ; but God brought him out. See that looking-glass : how perfectly you can see your face and form, and every hair on your forehead in it ! But had you seen the coarse sand lie on the sea-shore, before the workmen began, would you think that they could make such a thing from that sand ? So God will raise us up from the grave by his wisdom and power. Oh, how much do we owe to Jesus Christ ! 244 THE GRAVE. [Lect. i3 The islaiul. At the opening of every grave I seem to hear -V the angel say, " Come, see the place where the Lord lay/' Let me show you what Christ has done here for us. Suppose we lived upon a great island, entirely surrounded by the great waters. As we looked, we could see nothing but the w^aters and the sky. We had no ships wath which to go away ; and there we all lived. We had farms, and shops, and stores, and things just as we now have, with no difference, except we were on an island. One thing more. Every few days, there came a great ship to our island, and the men landed and caught our neighbors and friends, and carried them to the ship, and sailed away, out of sight ; in a few days, another ship, and another ; and so con- tinually they came, and carried off old and young, friends and neighbors, and we knew nothing what became of them. We wept, and mourned, and feared for ourselves, but we knew not what «.KCT. 13.] THE GRAVE. 247 The a ECT. 13.] THE GRAVE. 25 1 The Christian's death. to arise and meet the Lord in the air. But to the wicked and the unholy, it is the prisoner's cell, in which he is shut up, till led forth to execution. When Christians die, the angels of God come and lead them u[) to glory, while the hody rests and is purified in the grave. '* There," say they, " is Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the innu- merable company of angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect. You are going now," say they, *' to the Paradise of God, wherein you shall see the Tree of Life, and eat of the never-fading fruits thereof; and when you come there, you shall have white robes given you, and your walk, and talk shall be every day with the King, even all the days of eternity. There shall you not see again such things as you saw when you were in the lower region upon the earth, to wit, sorrow, sickness, affliction, and death, 'for the former things have passed away.' You are going now to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob, and to the prophets, men thai 252 THE GRAVE. [Lect. 1 Angels' conversation. God hath taken away from the evil to come, and that are now 'resting upon their beds, each one walking in his righteousness.' " What must we do in the holy place ? " *' You must there receive the comforts of all your toil, and have joy for all your sorrow; you must reap what you have sown, even the fruit of all your prayers, and tears, and sufferings for the Khig, by the way. In that place, you must wear crowns of gold, and enjoy the perpetual sight and vision of the Holy One ; for there ' you shall see him as he is.' There, also, you must serve him continually with praise, with shouting, and thanksgiving, whom you desired to serve in the world, though with much difficulty, because of the infirmity of your flesh. There your eyes shall be delighted with seeing, and your ears with hearing the pleasant voice of the Almighty One. There you shall enjoy your friends again, that are gone thither before you ; and there you shall with I.ECT. 13.] THE GRAVE. 253 Beautiful description of heaven. joy receive even ev ery one that follows into the holy places after you. There, also, you shall be clothed with glory and majesty, and put into an equipage fit to ride out with the King of Glory. When he shall come with sound of trumpet in the clouds, as upon the wrings of the wind, you shall come with him ; and when he shall sit upon the throne of judgment, you shall sit by him: yea, and w^hen he shall pass sentence upon all the workers of iniquity, let them be angels or men, you shall also have a voice in that judgment, because they were his and your enemies. And when he shall again return to the city, you shall go too, with sound of trumpet, and be ever with him." Such, my dear children, wdll be the glory ol ever} one who obeys God and loves the Redeem- er ; and such your glory, when you come up from the grave, if you obey God. I must now take m} leave of you. Many of you, who read these lines 'Zoi THE GRAVE. [Lect. 13 Conclusion of the Lecture. I shs^i never know, and never see, till the great day of judgment. Oh, if one of you shall be made wise unto eternal life by this Lecture 1 shall have more joy when we meet, than if I had been able to give you a kingdom. Do not put ofl religion till you are old. You may die within a week. Seek the Saviour while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. Read his word. Obey his voice. Commit yourself, each of you, to his hands. Then the grave will only be a place to sleep in, while God prepares for you a house not made with hands, an everlasting man- sion of glory — eternal in the heavens. Amen. 255 LECTURE XIV. HEAVEN. Jm the heginning God created the heaven. — Genesis 1. 1. CoifTENTS. — Shape of the earth. Inside of the world. High chimneys Cxeating and forming things. Light first made. The three heavens. First heaven. Second and third heavens. Guiding the stars. Idea of the third heaven. Beautiful things. What a throne v^ill be. Society of heaven. How they look in heaven. Why the beautiful things of earth not to be saved. Our friends. Is heaven a place ? You know, children, that the earth is round, like an orange. If you were to make a hole through an orange, and then measure the length of that hole, jou would find it took three times *~> that length to reach round the orange. And were a hole dug straight through the earth, it would take three times the length of that hole to reach round the earth. Suppose such a hole dug through the earth, and jou could walk through it, going a mile every day, how long do vou think it would take you to get through ? It 256 HEAVEN. [Lect. 14 Inside of tlie world. High chimneys. would take you ei^^ht thousand days, which is almost twenty-two years. And it would take you over sixty years to walk round tlie world, going at the same rate. What a great world ' And what do you suppose we should find away down in the earth? I suppose rocks and stones, and some great rivers, and a great deal of fire! A great deal of fire, say you ? Yes, a great deal of fire, and it is the heaving of this fire which makes earthquakes, and it is this which makes volcanoes. Volcanoes are always in the tops of very high mountains, which seem to be a kind of chimney, through which these great fires send out their belchings and flames. One of these openings which I call chimneys, on the top of a high mountain on the Sandwich Islands, is ten miles across. What a chimney, to be ten miles across its top ! And a few years ago it sent out a river of fire which ran down the moimtain two miles wide and forty miles long before it reached Lect. u.] iil:a\ E.N. 257 Creating and forming things. the sea, when it plunged into the great oeean. What fires, then, must there be inside of the earth ! And how easj for God to make these iires burn up the world at tne last day, as he has said in 2 Peter 3, 10: ''But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night ; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat ; the earth also, and the works that are there- in, shall be burned up." Men can form things, but they cannot create. They can dig up some ore and make it into the wheels of the watch, or into the little sj)rings which keep the watch agoing.^ They can take some coarse, heavy sand, into which you cannot look and see a pin, if it were buried ever so little way, and they can melt this sand and make it into the pure clear glass which you see in these windows, and throuoh which vou can see almost as well as i^ there was no "lass there. Men can 258 HEAVEN. [Lfxt. H Light made. dig up the dififerent kinds of earth and burn them, and make them into the beautiful colors with which they paint the faces of men, the trees, the waters, or any thing they please. But, though we can change and fashion things, and make them curious and useful, we cannot create any thing out of nothing. But this is what God did when he created worlds. He formed them out of nothing. He made the light, but he had no sun or any thing else to help him do it. He cre- ated the world and the heavens, but he made them out of nothing. How could he do it ? He said, " Let there be lightj and there was light." "He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast." (Psalm 33. 9.) 1 am new going to talk about that part of God's works which are called the heavens. *' In the beginning God created the heaven." Do you recollect that the Bible speaks of three heavens ? In Dan^.l we are told that the ange' Lect 14] HEAVEN. 259 The three heavens. came from God or the third heaven. (Dan. 9. 21.) And Paul tells us (2 Cor. 12. 2) that he was once caught up to the third heaven. Can I make you understand what it means when the Bible speaks of three heavens.'^ Let me try. You know the birds can fly in the air, and the clouds sail in it, and the rain, the dews, and the snows come down out of it. Well, this air is called the heavens. Thus we read of the dews of heaven, the rains of heaven, the clouds of heaven, and the storms of heaven. This is the first heaven. Then above this, far above all this, is the region where the sun and the moon and the stars are. This is the second heaven. " The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork." (Psalm 19. l.)4 And then beyond all this is the place where God and the angels live ; and that is what is meant by the third neaven, or, as it is sometimes called, the heaven of heavens. (Psalm 148. 4; 1 Kings 8. 27.) 16 260 HEAVEN. [Lect. 14 First heaven. Third heaven. Guiding the stars. Thus the first heaven is close to us. We breathe its air. Our birds sing while in it, and our clouds drop the rain out of it. The second heaven contains the sun, moon, and stars, and worlds which we see with the glass which we call the telescope ; but we cannot get to it or visit it. The third is what our eye cannot see. It is the place to which Enoch, who walked with God, was taken ; where Elijah was carried in the cha- riot of fire (2 Kings 2. 71); where Christ is gone and where the saints who arose at his res- urrection have gone (Matt. 27. 52). How wonderful it is that the sun and moon and stars should all be moving and shining, and yet never meet or jar ! And sometimes the fiery comet comes blazing up through the sky, with his long trail of light ; but God guides him on his way, and he never runs against any other world. What a wonder it is to look out on a 1 right even- ing, and see all the stars shining out in their glory. Lect. U ! HEAVEN. 261 Idea of the third heaven. SO many worlds ! No wonder David sajs, *' When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained, what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou visitest him?" (Psalm 8. 3, 4.) But what shall I say of the third heaven, where God resides? Who can describe it? Who can tell how it looks ? You know what I mean when I compare one thing with another. A tree may look very high, but if you were on the top of a high mountain and were to compare that tree to the mountain, it woald look like a small bush. You might call a man handsome, but if you were to compare him with the angels who, John says, were in the tomb of Christ (John 20. 12), you would not think him handsome. So we judge of heaven by comparison. We compare it with this world. What would you say should you see God creating a mantle most beautiful and large enough to cover all the earth ? He has created such a mantle. It is called light. 262 HEAVEN. [Lect. 14 Beautiful things. What a throne will be. You have seen the dewdrops hang on the grass and the flowers, like diamonds in the morn- ing sun, have you not? You have seen the sweet flowers all painted by the hand of God, and hung in clusters on the trees. You have seen the gold and purple with which he tinges the morning and the evening sky, now turning the clouds into sil- ver and gold. And how brightly and beautifully do the stars look down upon us as they hang ove ' our heads ! What beautiful creatures fly in the air, and swim in the sea, and what gorgeous shells he on the bottom of the ocean ! But this is only «tthe footstool of God, as he calls it. And so we can have an idea of what heaven must be, by comparing a footstool with a throne. What a light must that be which comes not from the sun, nor from the moon, nor from the candle, but di- rectly from the Father of lights? If in this world there are so many beautiful things, what will it be there ? Lkct. 14.i IIE.Wtl.N. 263 Society of heaven. *' If SO much loveliness is sent To grace our earthly home, How beautiful ! how beautiful Will be the world to come ! " YoQ remember, too, that Peter tells us that this world is to be burned up, to be destroyed. It is not designed to be any thing more than a kind ol bridge over which men walk from time into eter- nity ; and when it has served its purpose, the old bridge will be taken down. But heaven is nevei to change. It is never to be burned up, and so God has made it beautiful and glorious. It is the home of all his great family, — the family mansion, — and will it not be beautiful? We know that the tree of life is there, and we know that the river of life, proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb, is there. The place is called the Par adise of God, because that garden on earth was so beautiful. But one thing which makes heaven so delightful a place is the people who live there. 264 HEAVEiN. [Lect. 14 How they look in heaven. The angels have their home there. Enoch is there. Moses is there, and his face shines brighter than when he came down from the mountain. (Exodus 34. 35.) Job is there, and his riches will never again be taken from him, for he has in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Da- vid is there, with a harp that makes new mel- ody and new sweetness for ever. What a change must there be in Lazarus, who once lay among the dogs at the gate of the rich man ! What a change has passed over Paul since he lay in the dungeon, — an old man about to be put to death ! Heaven is the city to which all the paths in which good men have walked lead. Is it any wonder that God has made its walls of precious stones, its gates of pearl, and its streets of pure gold ? All the hopes, desires, and prayers and praises of the holy family of God centre and ter- minate in heaven, and it is to be beautiful enough to meet the expectations of all. We cannot, to Lect. 14.) HEAVEN. 26t Why the beautiful things of earth not to be saved. be sure, tell what eye hath not seen, .nor ear heard, nor the heart ever thought of ;^but we can see that a world where there has been no sin, no clouds, no graves, and no death, and which is in- tended to be the best of all God's works, must be beautiful. The waters which come leaping down our mountain-sides we call sweet and clear ; the air which rocks our trees we call pure ; the; flow- ers which grow in our gardens we call beautiful ; the fruits which hang on our trees we call pleas- ant ; and the buildings which men can rear we call splendid ; but God thinks he can spare all these, and burn them up, and jet have enough left in heaven to make all his friends contented and happj for ever! Those who have died in the Lord are there. I know that the gray-headed old man is there, and the praying mother is there, and the brother who loved Christ in his youth is there, and the sister who gave her heart to God in her eaily days is there, and I know that the 266 HEAVEJN. [Lkct. U Our friends. Is heaven a place T little child is there, perfecting the praise of God. There the Christian has become an angel, and there the babe has become a cherab, and yet I cannot describe heaven. 1 cannot begin to de- scribe that. Is heaven a place, or a kind of shadowy land ? I reply, it is a place, as much so as this world is a place. Enoch is there, who went to heaven with- out dying. So is Elijah, who was carried to heaven in a chariot of fire. So is Jesus Christ, and the saints who arose with him at his resur- rection. They will have hands and feet and eyes, ^as we now have, and the world in which they live must be a real place. Over it will hang a fairer sky, purer air, more beautiful light, and all around will be spread new and beautiful sights. Who but God could create such a world ! O, it will be every way worthy of him ! And now, my dear children, will you not desire to live so as to go to this heaven when you leave L«CT. 14] HEAVEN. 267 Is heaven a place? this world ? Do jou wish that you may there meet the angels and the great and the good who have left this world ? Ah ! if you may but do that, you will find all the heart can desire, to be your portion for ever. In order to do that, you must remember now your Creator in the days c' your youth. Seek the Lord while he may be found ; call upon him while he is near. Make God your Father by obeying him, loving and trusting in his Son, Jesus Christ, and then this Father will take you to his beai tiful home, to dwell with him for ever and ever. Amen. TFC END. LECTURES TO CHILDREN; FAMILIARLY ILLUSTRATING IMPORTANT TRUTH. SECOND SERIES. By REV. JOHN TODD, D.D., AUTHOR OF THE STUDENT'S MANUAL, TRUTH MADE SIMPLE, ETC. (m^fti) oviQinaf I-Ilustvattons. NORTHAMPTON : BRIDGMAN AND GUILDS, NEAY YORK: A. D. F. RANDOLPU & CO. 1878. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1858, by Hopkins, Bridgmax, and Company, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachiisetts. ADVERTISEMENT. " A little child shall lead them." The First Scries of Lectures to Children was pub- lished iu 1834. The sale from that time has been continuous, and the book to-day is as much a favorite with the children and Christian parents as it ever has been. In 1852 a new Illustrated Edition was issued, to which the Author appended the following Preface. This is reprinted here, to introduce the reader of the Second Series to the First, which is still in print, having now reached its ticenty-Jirst thousand. The second volume is entirely new, and is illus- trated with original engravings by Billings. It has been pronounced, by distinguished persons to whom the manuscript was submitted, equal to tlie first voh ume. This is sufficient commendation. Northampton, September 1, 1858. PREFACE TO THE ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF THE FIEST SEEIES. This little work, after having passed tlirough fifteen editions in this country, and we know not how many in England, after having been translated into French, German, Greek, and many more languages, printed in raised letters for the blind, and, last of all, having been adopted as a school-book for the liberated slaves at Sierra Leone, is now sent forth in a new dress, with the addition of new Lectures. A whole generation has passed from childhood into manhood since these Lectures were first printed ; and though it claims to be only a very humble instrument of usefulness, j^et the author, from testimony which he has already re- ceived from many and various quarters, would rather want renown and fame among men, than to be with- out his hope that the mission of this little work has been one of good to the lambs of Christ's flock. PiTTSFiELD, October 1, 1852. PREFACE. There arc, perhaps, loftier walks than tlie paths in which the feet of childhood tread. Bnt when we remember how earnestly Moses commanded his people to instruct tlieir little ones ; how beautifully David spake to and of them ; how wisely and fully Solomon taught them in his Proverbs ; how ten- derly Christ embraced them, and charged his minis- ters (in charging Peter) to feed his lambs ; liow great the number now under the care of the Church of Christ for instruction ; and liow great a propor- tion of all who are, at this day, converted to God, come from these lambs, — we can hardly overestimate the importance of this department of spiritual labor. Many years ago, I made the attempt to speak to children by the pen. The effort was far mo)"e success- 6 Preface. ful than I had any right to hope. Whether the harp has since become so worn by time that its notes Avill be no longer recognized, will be determined by the issuing of this little volume. Should it, like some unpretending bird, light upon as many bright and sunny places, and with its notes cheer as many listening children, as the First Series has, I can hardly think of a higher earthly recompense. We read, in our blessed Bible, of a temple in which tlie very snuffers were of pure gold ; but more beau- tiful far is the heart of the child in which the Holy Ghost dwells as his temple. To this end, — I trust with something of the child's humility, — I send forth this humble volume, and commend it to the blessing of the Great Redeemer. PiTTSFiELD, August 25, 1858. CONTENTS. LECTURE I. THE LOWLY CRADLE. Ye shall find the Bahe, wrapped in swaddling-clothes^ ly^^9 ^'^ a manger. — Luke ii. 12. Building a mill. Wicked island. The drowning man. Teaching the island- ers. Scholai's. A great change. Tlie new way. Christ foretold. The pomp of an ambassador. How he was expected. Curious notions. Night-watchers. The song of the angels. The loivly cradle. The first worship. The Babe talked about. Carried to the Temple. The perse- cuted Babe. How he might have come. First reason why he came thus. Lessons to his disciples. No golden cloth. Borrowed not from earth. Second reason, — the poor. Poor clothing, — homes. Third rea- son, — to show what disgraces men. LECTURE II. THE LOST CHILD. And when they had fulfilled .the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem, and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey ; and they sought 8 Contents. Mm among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned hack again to Jerusalem, seeVuKj him. — Luke ii. 43 — 45. The top of the hill. Things to be seen. Old Hermon. The child's home. Travellers. Things worth seeing. Conversation. Singing songs. Close of the day. The mother's sorrow. Words of caution. A mother's love. How it lasts. The child sought for. Morning again. Strangeness. The city opened. The wandering mother. First lesson. The httle ants. The desolate home. Troubles. Second lesson. Pondering of the heai't. Who take care of cliildren. Dying mother. Dying child. The dead child. Mary m tears. LECTURE III. THE CHILD FOUND. And it came to pass, that, after three days, they found him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking questioiis. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saio him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto Mm, Son, why hast thou thus decdt with us ? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing ! — Luke ii. 40 - 48. Teaching by the bud. Training of the horse. A gi-eat fact. The little g:rl and the Bible Society. Little Alice. Children walking. The phy- sician. Surgeon. Moses. Luther. Washington. Our story. The search. The council-chamber. The voice! The child found. Gen- tle reproof. God's great plan. Acorn. Bright day. Making a man. How Christ came. Picture of Christ. Bad imitations. About his Fa- Contents. ther's business. Learning subjection. Like Jesus. Sleeping boy and his mother. The siclc child. How we came to have the story. Whom does God honor? Lost children found. Heaven. Tlie joy of angels. LECTURE lY. GATHERED LILIES. My beloved is gone doivn info his garden, to gather lilies. — Song of Solomon vi. 2. The modest flower, — how used. Ancient gods. Christ's garden. The cliild's coffin. Its new home. The flower gathered. A beautiful picture. What are Christ's lilies. First method of gathering them. The polar bear. The mother's love. Home a school. The orphan. The family of the dead minister. Christ's school-house. Second method of gathering flowers. The missionary's memory. Sabbath-school results. Pastor. Lawyer. Teachers. Lake on the mountain. Third method of gather- ing lilies. The child and the wise man. The blind beggar. Child's faith. Child in the woods. Child's religion and faith. Voices of nature. The dumb oak. Fourth way of gathering lilies. The mourning lily. The transplanted lily. Christ's lilies. Garden of heaven. Lesson learned. Christ the glorious ! Christ's visits. Second lesson learned. Parents. Teachers. Children. LECTURE V. THE LITTLE SHIP. And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship shoidd ivait on him. — Mark iii. 9. A curious family. Curious birds. The owner. A strange supposition. What is power ? Life of Christ. The birds a text. How the birds live. 10 Contents. The lilies. Christ's servants. Peter and the fish. The fish is Christ's. The httle ship. How the boat was made. How long in building it. Christ riding. The wild ass. A quiet servant. The young choir. A chair provided. A mountain a servant. Servants always ready. The sick wait for him. The river Jordan. Angels are servants. Two times of need. The garden of agony. The angel's aid. Specimens of heaven. Conversation of heaven. Spirits wait on Christ. A tomb waiting on him. A wonder! Many servants. A great Saviour. Heaven waits on Christ. Harvesters. All things are servients. Servants for ever. The little child called. LECTURE VI. THE GEEAT KING. For I am a great King, saitJi the Lord of hosts. — Mal. i. 14. A rock. Tree. What makes a great king ? First thing. Territory. Magnificence. God a great King. How large his kingdom V What God governs. The song of all creation. Second mark of greatness. Frederick the Great. Earthly king weak. The breakfast table. How many to be fed ! Different creatures hungry. A tree and its leaves. One world ! Third mark of greatness. The bee and the squirrel. The echo of the lake. Echoes of conscience. The commandments echoed. Xerxes the king. No mistakes. The tree on the island. Fourth mark of great- ness. God's kingdom old. The old rocks. God's kingdom always new. First inference. Gold lost. The dying saint. Second inference. Fault^ finding. David's troubles and song. Who can contend with him V A scene in the Alps. The mountain-slide. The ruin. Child and feather. 11 Contents. LECTURE yil. THE BROKEN STAFF MENDED. And it came to pass, S^c. — Luke vii. 11-16. Poisonous valley. Looking into the valley. Young men's party. The dying man rescued. Remembrances. We dying. The morning light. Walled towns. Christ travelling. The funeral. The mother's thoughts. Tlie stranger's voice. The dead with no coffin. The staff mended ! Rivers of ice. The Alpenstock. The awful fall in the chasm. Glaciers in the night. A night scene. The twinkling light. The lost friend. Further unfoldings. Ingratitude. The child restored. Master of the grave. The dead brought back. A hard question. Reason first, for this miracle. For after ages. Reason second, for this miracle. The buried babe. Who are comforted ? The funeral at sea. The sad crew of the ship. The burial. The ocean-grave. The dead to awake. The resurrection. Reason third, for this miracle. ' Spiritual teachings. Why Christ left the earth. The great design of Christ. The people's shout. The shout of all his family ! LECTURE yill. THE FLOWERS. Consider the lilies of the field. — Matt. vI. 28. Christ in tlie streets. Street sermons. Out-of-door texts. God's crea- tions. Paintings of nature. Spring's doings. A dark picture. A gar- den hung up in the air. Fiv&i tinny to think of. " Here we are ! " The flower's speech. The rose and tlie tulip. The second thing to think of. The third thing to be thought of. Broken teapot. The prisoner and 12 Contents. the wall-flower. The city cellar. Flowers in the coffin. How to improve flowers. Kose-bud on the tomb. How we use flowers. Night-blooming Cereus. Teachings of flowers. A sad thought. A child's doings. The dying boy. Language of the rose. Stupidity of men. Beauty for all. Voices all around us. Creation's testimony. Memories of the old man. Old Homer. The three gardens. Bright thoughts. Grave of the young girl. Nothing good to be lost. Preaching of the flowers. LECTURE IX. THE ANGEL'S ERRAND. Are not Jive sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God"^ Ye are of more value than many sparrows. — Luke xii. 6, 7. How to make a great river. Wide country and long river. American birds. English birds. Sparrow of the Bible. The dead sparrow. The dead babe. God cares for all. Value of a soul. Powers of the spar- i-ow. Cannot think or plan. Storm among mountains. Description. Shadows. Bright visions. Child in the cradle. "What the child may become. Fifty years of life. Child and sparrow compared. Sir John Franklin. What a man may become. What is it to do great things ? Many miracles daily. Two strangers meeting. Society of heaven. The children present. What they will be. Christ's care. All are remeni' bered. Little fruit-tree. What to live hereafter. Angels on the star. Their dialogue. The angel's errand. What he did on earth. Watching the child. What the sower has done. End of earth. The future of the good man. 13 Contents. LECTURE X. GOD REJOICING. The Lord shall rejoice in his works. — Ps. civ. 31. Much in little. Child's arithmetic. New watch. The flower. Sea-shells. Why so beautiful? Flower of the mountain. ]\IottIed fish. Mountain eagle. The horse of tlie prairie, (iod's great works. The river of Egypt. Bruce, tlie traveller. The head of the Nile. Perfected works, — rainbow, — early morning, — ocean, — forest-trees. The cradle, — child, — the man, — old man, — glorified man. The mechanic and his works. Christ's work. The " Morning Star." Her mission. Morning stars in heaven. Works over which Clirist will rejoice. The mother's joy, — ■ the pastor's, — the missionary's. God's joy for ever. LECTURE XI. THE OLDEST RIDDLE. Out of the eater came forth meat, and oat of the strong came forth sweetness. — Judges xiv. 14. What a riddle is. Ancient riddles. Parables. ^Esop's fables. Children's poems. Men of the Bible. Samson, — the man who was a whole army. His wedding. The young lion. The lion a beehive. A wonder. Doc- trine. The babe. Parents' joy. The child's will. The lame one. The little cripple. God's lesson. The child's will again. The temper altered. Text illustrated. Deaf and dumb child. Her mission. Sor- rows on the sea. Causes of distress. The mountain stage. Young officer. Maps of the ocean. The great results. Cowper. Beautiful eulogy on the pulpit. Hynuis. John Milton. His lament over his blind- ness. Text illustrated. The greatest calamity ever known. Effects of sin. Results of it. What it teaches. The heaven of the redeemed. What Christ will do. ^ 14 Contents. LECTURE XII. THE GREAT CHANGE. We shall all be changed. — 1 Cor. xv. 51. The boy's wish. Spring. Little girl's wish. Men desire changes. Changes to all. The old man. His sad experience. No sunshine. The bird's egg. The journey. Departure. The return. Two great changes. What death is. Little Emma Clapp. Conversation with her. Emma's experience. The baptism. Her sick-room. Her anxieties. Fearless. Perfected praises. Farewells. Her messages. Shutting of the lily. Great change in Emma. What became of her? Contrasts. The cofun-dress. The last change. Christ's coming. The trumpet's voice. Graves opened. How the wicked forgotten in death. The most precious thing on earth. The blind eyes opened. No sickness. Surgeon's knife. The pond-lily. The diamond. Stephen's burial. The eggs of the silk-worm and the staves. The rag-picker. Eternal change. LECTUHES TO CHILDREN. LECTUEE I. THE LOWLY CRADLE. Je shall find the Babe, wrapped in swaddling-clothes, lying in a manger. — Luke ii. 12. Contents. — Building a mill. Wicked island. The drowning man. Teach- ing the islanders. Scholars. A great change. The new way. Christ foretold. The pomp of an ambassador. How he was expected. Curious notions. Niglit-watchers. The song of the angels. Tln.e, lowly cradle. The first worship. The Babe talked about. Carried to the Temple. Tlie persecuted Babe. How he might have come. First reason why he came thus. Lessons to his disciples. No golden cloth. Borrowed not from earth. Second reason, — the poor. Poor clothing, — homes. Third rea- son, — to show what disgraces men. Children, you know that if you were to try to make a mill, or a carriage, you would go to work very clifFerently from what a man would ; and you know, too, that while the man might finish his mill or carriage, you could not finish 2 16 THE LOWLY CRADLE. [Lect. L Tlie wicked island. yours. The man would go to work very differ- ently from the child, because he is older and wiser. So when God does anything, he does not do it as men do. He is wiser. Suppose there was a large island far off in the ocean, full of people ; and suppose these people had all become thieves, so as to rob ships, and kill all in the ships, and so wicked that they were liars, and drunkards, and were just as wicked as they could well be ! Now how would men deal with them '? Why, they would send great war-ships with cannon and powder and great balls, and guns and swords to fight them. The great ships might shoot down their houses and cities and kill a great many people; and they might scare them and make them promise to do better, — but this would not make the wicked people feel any better ; they would still want to be thieves and to rob ships, and would do it, if they only dared to. Lect. I.] THE LOWLY CRADLE. 17 The drowning man. Teaching the islanders. Suppose, now, that some day, just at night, these people on the island should find a man floated on their shores, almost drowned, — for in trying to get to them, his little boat had struck upon a rock and broke in pieces. They pick up the poor man, and find that he has no watch, no jewels, and no money Avhich they can steal. He tells them that he hears that they are wick- ed, and he has come to teach them and to tell them about God, and heaven and hell, and their duty. They laugh at him, scorn him, refuse to give him food or a bed, — sometimes they stone him, — sometimes tell lies about him ; but the stran- ger never gets out of temper. He bears it all meekly, and w^atches, with the sick, makes crutches for the lame, leads the blind, and takes the very poorest children and teaches them in his school. When not in school, he is going about doing good, carrying medicines to the 18 THE LOWLY CRADLE. [Lect. L Scholars. A great change. sick, comforting the sorrowful, and speaking words of kindness to all. By and by some of his scholars catch his spirit and do just so ; and thei/ go and open nev\^ schools, and teach the same good teaching. After a while, some of the islanders get very much out of patience to see these good things done, and so they get together and kill the stranger who had tried to do them so much good. But after he is dead and gone, it is found that those whom he instructed have his same spirit, and thus his spirit lives, and more schools are opened, till the poor islanders are all taught, and all see how wrong it was to be thieves and murderers, and how wrong it was to be cruel, and so they all become better people. They learn to work and earn their living, and they are sorry and ashamed when they think how they used to live and act. Now this poor stranger had no cannon and no Lect. I.] THE LOWLY CKADLE. 19 The new way. Christ foretold. guns nor swords, and he killed none of the wicked men, and yet he did what the war-ship never could do : he made them feel sorri/ for their sins. He made them leave off being thieves, because they feared God, and not because they were afraid of being shot. Which of these two ways do these children think was the best '? The people in old times knew, — for the Bible had told them so, — a long time before Christ came to this w^orld, that he would come. Sometimes the Bible called him a " Star," some- times a " Fountain," a " Sun," a " King,'' a " Prince," and sometimes " a child," or " a son." They knew that, as all the prophets spoke of him, he must be greater than any other prophet. They knew^ he was to do some ^reat work, — for his kingdom was to be an everlasting kingdom, and all kings and people w^ere to bow dow^n to him and serve him. And they thought that one "who was thus foretold, and who was to do so great a work, must be a great character. 20 THE LOWLY CRADLE. [Lect. L The pomp of an ambassador. And how did they thmk he would cornel Why, they supposed that he might have his choice how he would come, and that he would want to do as other men love to do. Men love pomp and notice. An ambassador who goes to another country has a great war-ship go on pur- pose to carry him. He has flags on the ship, and guns are fired, and it seems to be a great affair. We know that, if we build a bridge, we must have a great deal of timber and a great many men to hew and bore and put it together; if we make a house, we must have men to dig the cellar, masons and carpenters, painters and window-makers, and a multitude of trades, to do it. If we know that a man has got a great weight to lift or a great work to do, we ex- pect to see a very strong man. If we know that a man has done some great work, or is selected to do some great work, as Wash- ington was, we expect to see a very uncommon Lect. I.] THE LOWLY CRADLH, 2l How Christ was expected. Curious notions. man. So the people thought that Christ would come in a very new way. Some, perhaps, thought he would come on the clouds of heaven, attended by angels, as he will come at the Judgment Day. Some, perhaps, thought that he would come with chariots and horses of fire, as Elijah went up to heaven. Some thought that he would come as a great king, with an army, and live in a palace, and have officers and gold and riches and fine clothes. Some thought he would come as a general, and make war, and conquer armies, and thus make all people serve him. They knew of no way by which to raise up his kingdom, except to fight and make people afraid of his sword. So they used to think and talk about him before he came to this world. How little were their plans like God's plans ! On the Avild hills of Judaea there tvere some poor men watching over their flocks of sheep by night. They built little watch-fires, it may 22 THE LOWLY CRADLE. [Lect. L Night-watchers. The song of the angels. be, to warm themselves and to scare off the wolves. They were good men, and knew, most likely, that a Saviour was coming to this world. It may be they were talking about it and pray- ing about it together that very night, when suddenly they saw the heavens seem to open, and out of them flew a multitude of holy angels, singing " Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and good-will to men." The shepherds were afraid, and lay flat on the ground ; but the angels told them to fear not, for a Saviour was born, — Christ the Lord, — good tidings of great joy which should be to all people ! Ha ! the Saviour is born ! — a thing of great joy to all people ! Well, he must be in some palace, — where they have oflicers and guards, and silver and gold in great plenty! But no ! they must go, — not to Jerusalem, the great city, — but to little Bethlehem ; not to the palace of royalty, but to the stable ! And there Lect. I.] THE LOWLY CRADLE. 23 The lowly cradle. The first worship. is the lowli/ cradle! a manger, for the greatest King and the most wonderful character that ever was born. There were no silk curtains, no marble floors, no beautiful pillars, no great ofl[i- cers of state, no long train of servants, no treas- ures of gold, — there was only a manger with a little babe in it, and his mother bending over him ! The shepherds tell their story of having seen the angels ; they believe this is the Saviour of the world, and that in that lowly cradle is the " Son that should be given," " the Child that should be born," and they fall down and wor- ship him. How they gaze at the manger! at the child wrapt in swaddling-clothes ! — how they weep for joy, and then go back to their hill- side and rekindle their fires, and give thanks to God ! Did you ever think, children, how many things took place even while Christ was a babe, which would draw men to think about him \ 2^ THE LOV.'LY CRADLE. [Lect. I. Christ talked about. Christ carried to the Temple. There Avas the story of the shej)herds, which they would spread far and wide among the people in the country ; then the wise men came from the east, guided by a new star, and the star would be seen and talked about far and near. They came to Jerusalem, and went to the palace of King Herod to find the babe, and thus they made it known to all the rulers and to all the city. This made it known still wider. Then, when his parents brought the babe into the Temple, the wonderful speech made by old Simeon would be told all over the country. The good old man had waited and lived to see this babe, and he was now ready to die ! Next we have a king trying to kill the babe of the lowly cradle, and he sent soldiers to Bethlehem where the child was, and slew all the little ones under two years old, so as to be sure and kill the child Jesus ; and this would be known all over the land. Then Christ — the little child — Lect. l] the lowly cradle. 25 The babe persecuted. How he might have come. was carried by night down into Egypt, and final- ly brought back again, and carried to Nazareth, a little place so small and so poor, they thought the king would not look for him there ! Thus the babe, the child that was born, though cradled in a manger, moved heaven and earth ; — the angels to sing and shout for joy ; the shepherds to hasten and worship him ; the wise men to follow the new star till it came and stood over where the young child was ; the king and all Jerusalem to be moved and troubled ; the children to be slain on his account ; and even old age to feel gladdened and joyful ! Was there ever such a child I was there ever such a cradle 1 He might have come the child of a king, and have been rocked in a golden cradle, had he seen fit. He might have had the nobles of an empire to welcome him ; but no ! he came and occupied the lowly cradle ! And why did he do so ] I will tell you. §Q THE LOWLY CRADLE. [Lkct. L Why he came thus. Lessons to his disciples. 1. That ive might all look at his real character. Had Christ come as a king, or a general, or a rich man, men Avoukl have looked at him as they do at a beautifully bound book. It is not the reading, the real value of the book, which they notice, but the gilding and the ornaments. So when men have great titles, and great offices, and great wealth, we are apt to feel that these things are very desirable. Had Christ come as such a one, we should all have tried to be like him, and so bis followers would all have tried to be kings, or generals, or great or rich men ; but now, he who is most like Christ, is a poor man, a humble man, and has no worldly glory. AVe do not have to look at Christ through a gold cloak, nor see the dazzle of epaulettes or swords ; we do not have to wait till he has put off the robes of state, before we see him. There is noth- ing between us and his beautiful character. We do not have to ask whether it is the pure w^ater, Lect. I.] THE LOWLY CRADLE. 27 No golden cloth. Borrowed not from earth. or the cup out of which we are drmking it, that makes it taste so good ! How little did he borrow of earth in order to make men love and admire him ! We do not know wheth- er he was tall or short, — the color of his hair, the dress that he wore, the expression of his face ; we do not know anything about him, except that he came here and was found in a manger, with no heart but that of Mary to thrill at his birth. He would be loved, — not for what he had of earth, not for the glory of a throne, the honors which he bestowed on others, — but loved for his own sake ; for what he was^ and 15, and ever will he. He did not invite men to his service by any rewards which earth can bestow, but for the sake of something better. Christ wants to be loved for his own sake. 2. He came hy the way of the lowly cradle, to show the poor what they can he and do. 28 THE LOWLY CRADLE. [Lect. L Lessons to the poor. Feelings of the poor. Tlie parents of Christ were very poor. The pictures all make Joseph to be walking beside Mary on an ass with the babe in her arms, as they fled to go down into Egypt ; but I am not sure that it was so. I do not know but that they walked, and carried the infant in their arms. They were poor, — and when they brought their little son into the Temple, they brought the poor man's oflering, — a pair of doves ; thus show- ing us that the poor man may bring his little child to God and dedicate it to him, — and that he will be just as acceptable as the man who has uncounted gold. Sometimes poor people say they cannot go and worship God on the Sabbath, because they have no clothes ; and poor children sometimes say that they cannot go to the Sunday School, because they have not clothes good enough ! This is not the right feeling. This is not as Christ did. The clothes in which he was wrapped in the manger were, Lect. I.] THE LOWLY CRADLE. 29 Poor clothing. A poor home. The third reason. perhaps, such old pieces of cloth as were left there ; and when they brought him to the temple to dedicate him to God, he was not dressed in gay clothing. Nothing of this was needed to recommend him to God. And let me assure my little hearer, that, if he has fine clothes and a beautiful home, and nobody trying to kill him, he is better off than Christ was, but he has no * reason to feel proud. If he is poor, and has poor clothing and lives in a poor home, let him remember that Christ did just so, — and yet his parents gave him to God, and from his very birth they held him as something consecrated to God. 3. Christ came to us hy the way of the lowly cradle^ to shoiv us that we need he ashamed of nothing hut sin. Christ was a poor man's child ; and he was not ashamed of that. His father, Joseph, was a mechanic, and that was no disgrace. He was 80 THE LOWLY CRADLE. [Lect. L Lowliness is not disgraceful. "WTiat is disgracefuL born in a stable and cradled in a manger, and that was no disgrace. He was persecuted even in infancy, — driven away from home, had to flee out of his country, was hunted by the king and his soldiers, and that was no disgrace to him. There is no disgrace in poverty, or trou- ble, or in anything but sin. " He knew no sin." How differently do we sometimes feel ! That it is a disgrace to be poor ! — to have no home, — no friends ! It may be, if it was sin that made us poor, if it was sin that made us lose our friends ; we ought to feel ashamed of sin and crime ; but not of anything else. Those who will be clothed with shame and everlast- ing contempt are the wicked. Those of whom Christ will be ashamed are the wicked. Those who will be shut out from his presence and glory for ever are those who are wicked. Now, my little children, you may know whether you ought to feel ashamed; if you use bad, low, Lect. I.] THE LOWLY CRADLE. 31 What disgraces children. wicked words ; if you are rude, unkind, cruel, and headstrong; if you are proud, vain, over- bearing ; if you are selfish, covetous, envious or jealous of others ; if you are profane or vulgar in manners or behavior ; if you are unkind to your brothers or sisters, or diso- bedient to your parents, — then you have some- thing to be ashamed of! Sin, in every shape and degree, is shameful ; and this is the only thing that is. Children, will you not learn a lesson from the lowly cradle f ^ ^ LECTURE II. THE LOST CHILD. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem, and Joseph and his mother hiew not of it. But they, supposing him to have heen in the company, went a day's journey ; and they sought him among their hinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him, not, they turned hack again to Jerusalem, seeking him. — Luke ii. 43 — 45. Contents. — The top of the hill. Things to be seen. Old Hermon. The child's home. Travellers. Things worth seeing. Conversation. Singing songs. Close of the day. The mother's son*ow. Words of caution. A mother's love. How it lasts. The child sought for. Morning again. Strangeness. The city opened. The wandering mother. First lesson. The little ants. The desolate home. Troubles. Second lesson. Ponder- ing of the heart. Who take care of children. Dying mother. Dying child. The dead child. Mary in tears. Some sixty or seventy miles north of Jeru- salem is a long, beautiful hill. Before the hill is a small, but quiet and most charming valley. Let us go up on the top of that hill. Lect. II.] THE LOST CHILD. 33 The top of the hill. Things to be seen. Now, children, let us look around us. On the side of the hill is a village, and a little one side of that, a fountain of water gushes out, and drops into a marble basin. To this fountain all the women of the village come to get water. Let us look off beyond the village. There, yonder, between the mountains, and beyond the little valley which lies just at the foot of the hill, on the left hand, is a great, beautiful plain, — the most beautiful in all the land. It used to be called the Plain of Esdraelon. That round-topped mountain at the left is Mount Tabor ; and there, over the hills, you can just see the heads of Little Her- mon and Gilboa ! And that beautiful mountain, stretching along till it dips its feet in yonder distant waters, is Mount Carmel. Look now directly west, and those waters so brightly gleaming in the sun are the Mediterranean Sea. You can see them on both the riffht and 34 THE LOST CHILD. [Lect. H. Hermon. The child's home. left of Mount Carmel. On the north is another beatitiful plam ; and away on, on beyond, seems to be a sea of mountains, with one mountain rising up higher than all, with his head covered with ice. That is old Hermon ! "What a beautiful prospect from this hill! Where are we^ This hill is the hill of Nazareth, and that villaofe on its west side is Nazareth ! Here once lived a little boy. I suppose he often drank at that running fountain. I suppose his feet often trod this hill. I suppose his eyes often gazed upon these hills and mountains and valleys. His name was Jesus ! His parents lived in that village, and they were poor, but humble and pious people. Every year they all went up to the great city Jeru- salem, where the Temple was, that they might worship God according as he had commanded. On the return of the feast of the Passover, — iECT. II.] THE LOST CHILD. 35 Travellers. Things worth seeing. SO called, because, when the angel of God killed so many of the Egyptians, (Exodus xii. 27,) he passed over the Israelites and did not kill one of them, — this family all went up to Jerusalem. When the feast was over, they, and all the villagers who had gone with them, set out to return home to Nazareth. They probably went on foot, — unless it was some who were too old or too feeble, and they would ride on asses. They had no horses and no carriages in those days. As the large com- pany wound along in the foot-path, among the hills where the vineyards were hanging their ripe fruits, where the flowers were breathing out their sweetness, where the fields were wav- ing with grain, where the beautiful oleander gleamed with its load of richest blossoms, and the rose of Sharon tempted the children to stop and pluck them, — where the dove sat on the boughs of the trees that hung over the path 36 THE LOST CHILD. [Lect. IL Conversation. Singing songs. and poured out her low song, — O, how glad were the hearts of these people ! How they talked of the city of David where they had been, of the glorious Temple in which they had worshipped, of the High-Priest in his rich garments, of the priests in their robes of white, of the music which made the courts ring with joy, trumpet and cymbal and harp, of the good people whom they had seen, of the old friends whom they had met, of the loved ones who went up with them the last year, but are dead now ! How they spoke of the children whose silvery voices united in the songs of Zion, of the inquiries they had made about a Saviour who was expected in these years ! And then, some of them sang over again the songs they had heard in the Temple, old men and old women and maidens and children all uniting to sing as they went towards their home ! It is now almost night, and the red sun begins to Lect. II.] THE LOST CHILD. 37 Close of day. A fearful cry. go behind the hills, and to touch the mountain- tops with his light, and the western clouds look bright, as if covered with dust shaken from angels' wings. The company have all stopped under a cluster of tall palm-trees, where there is a spring of water, and are getting ready for their evening meal. Hark ! what cry is that! ''A child lost!'' "A child lost!'' And there comes the mother, passing from neighbor to neighbor, and from group to group, inquiring most earnestly for her lost child ! She supposed he must be among some of her relatives ; but no ! they have not seen him ! How pale she looks ! They try to comfort her ! They want her to eat ! Eat ! she has no desire for food ! Her child is lost ! Has he been carried off by wandering robbers ? Has he fallen by the way, and been left sick and alone by the wayside ] Has he gone in an unknown path through mistake 1 Poor mother ! None 38 THE LOST CHILD. [Lect. H. The mother's sorrow. Words of caution. can tell thy sorrows ! None can know the thoughts of thy heart ! She must turn back ! She is already weary with the long day's walk, but as the moon rises over the hills, her shadow is seen as she hurries back, and every now and then stops and calls for her child. The hills echo back the sweet name of " Jesus ! " " Jesus ! " — but that is all ! Sometimes she thinks she sees his form resting under a tree, — but it is only a dark shadow. Sometimes she listens and thinks she hears his voice, — but it is the distant call of the shepherd. All night long the mother keeps on her way, — distressed for her lost child ! Children, you sometimes, it may be, feel unkind towards your mother. It may be that you speak of her infirmities or faults to others, that you laugh at her weaknesses, or that you are unkind and disrespectful in your language to her ! O, let me say to you, that you have no friend, Lect. II.] THE LOST CHILD. 39 A mother's love. How it lasts. and you never can have in this world, a friend like her ! Should you die while a child, you will never be forgotten by your mother. She will remember how you looked, the tones of your voice, and long after others have done mentioning your name, she will think of it, and in the silence and darkness of night she will think of her child, and weep that he is dead. And should you live to grow up, there never will be a day, if there is an hour, when she does not remember you, and wish she could do some- thing for you. If you are in sickness or in trouble, she will ever be ready to come to you and try to do for you. Others may for- get you, other hearts may grow cold towards you, others may blame you ; but she — your mother — will always take your part and try to defend you. Even should she live to be old and blind or feeble, she will have her heart warm towards her child. She will forget all 40 , THE LOST CHILD. [Lect. II. The child sought for. that you have said that wounded her feelings, all that you have done that was wrong, and till the grave closes over her, she will have a mother's heart towards you ! The time that healeth all May take the sting from pain ; But a joy fades out when childhood dies She will never know again ! God comfort thee, beloved ! No darker hour is given, Than that which yields your children up, E'en though it be to Heaven ! The child was lost ! And Mary, his mother, weary and ready to sink to the ground, kept on towards Jerusalem. What was it to her that the soft moonlight lay on the hills, and shadows and light mingled in the valleys ^, What was it to her that the vine gave out its fragrant smell, and the blossoms of the fig-tree and the orange- tree filled all the air with their sweetness] Lect. II.] THE LOST CHILD. 41 Morning again. Strangeness. The song of the nightingale would have sound- ed like the wail of her lost child ! When the morning light was again spread over the hills, she had retraced her weary steps so far that she could again see the towers and pinnacles of the great Temple in Jerusalem. The morning sun seemed to bless them, as if he threw a silver veil over them all. But how different things look when we are sad from what they do when we are happy ! How different does silver look in the cofRn-plate from what it does in the shape of a cup ! When she saw those towers a few days since, her heart leaped for joy ; for she was then going up to worship with her child. Now he was lost! How could it be'? She had never known him to get into bad company ; she had never known him to do wrong, to play truant, or to do anything to pain his mother's heart. That made it the more strange ! If he had been undutiful, or 42 THE LOST CHILD. [Lect. H. City opened. The wandering mother. wicked, she might have thought he had run away. But he had always loved his poor home at Nazareth, and had never been undutiful! How strange that he should be lost ! When the gates of the city were opened, the mother rushes into the streets. She goes to the house where they had stopped during the Passover. They have not seen him ! She goes to the few acquaintances that she had in the city, but they have not seen him. She goes to the market, and then to the pools, and inquires for her lost son ; but nobody can tell her anything about him ! The watchmen meet her in the streets at night, and are moved at her sorrows ; the sick man in his chamber hears her sad calls, and lifts up his head and inquires who it is ! Through every street in the city for three days does the poor moth- er wander, seeking her lost child ! Has he been stolen and carried off to some distant Lect. n.] THE LOST CHILD. 43 What the first lesson. The little ants. land and sold, like Joseph of old? Has he been murdered in the streets, and secretly buried out of sight ] Is he in some dark corner, lying upon the bed of pain, vainly asking for his mother 1 Ah, Mary! thou hast lost thy child, and thou art teaching these children several things ; such as, — 1. That our troubles come upon us in ways not expected. When in the bright morning Joseph and Mary set out to return to their home, they expected that the day would be hot, and the way would be long, and the fatigue Avould be great, but they did not expect that at night their child would be lost, and all wrapped in mystery and sorrow ! We are like the little ants that set out to run in their little paths, but if an acorn drops in that path, or a stick drops across it, they are amazed, and stop, and turn back, or work their way around it. I have 44 THE LOST CHILD. LLect. II. The desolate home. Troubles. known many a child setting the heart upon a ride or a walk into the fields, when suddenly a storm, a shower, or the coming of friends spoiled all. I have sometimes seen a family of children so happy in their sweet home, with their swing, their wagons, their doves and chickens, their dolls and play-houses, that it seemed as if they must always be so happy, with their parents and with one another ! But in a few weeks I have passed that beautiful house, and it was all shut up, — the doors and the windows all closed ! The parents were in the grave, and the poor children scattered from one another, never to live together again ! Ah! the briers that tear our skin, and the nails that we tread on and wound our feet, are not in the places that we looked for! It seems as if we only knew when and how our troubles would come, that we could get ready to meet them. So we could. But our Heavenly Lkct. II.] THE LOST CHILD. 45 Second lesson. Father does not intend to let us know this. It is a part of our trouble to have it come when and how we did not expect it. He does this to make us feel that w^e cannot guard ourselves, — cannot take care of ourselves. The little child takes hold of his father's hand to pass through a long piece of woods, — he does not know when and where he will meet with logs and stones to be climbed over, ditches and holes into which he may fall, and serpents w^hich may bite him ; but his father's hand holds him and guides him, and Avill not let the child receive hurt. Mary is sorrowing and seeking her lost child ! — and she is thus teaching these dear children before me, — 2. That children need some one greater than parents to take care of them. Perhaps no mother ever loved her child more than Mary loved the child Jesus. She had great expectations concerning him. The angel 46 THE LOST CHILD. [Lect. IL Ponderinors of the heart. Who can take care of children. Gabriel gave him his name before he was born. So did Isaiah call him " Immanuel," — God with us. From the visit of the shepherds and the wise men, and the prophecy of old Simeon, and the thanksgiving of the aged Anna, she hoped great things. But now her child of so many hopes was lost ! He might be sick, he might be starving, he might be dying, he might never be found again ! Who can take care of him ! And who can take care of little children? Their parents cannot keep them in health, — cannot restore them when sick, cannot keep them when death calls for them ! Who can ] They need some one w^ho can keep them and guide them at home and abroad, on the land and on the water. And God is that greater Friend, — greater than father or mother, and greater than the greatest man that ever lived. The child may be lost, but God knows where he is. The child may be sick, but he can heal Lkct. li.l THE LOST CHILD. 4T Mothers dying. The dying child. him. The child may die and be taken away from the arms of his mother, and go into that world where she cannot follow him, — but he will take care of him ! How I love to feel that every child now in these seats is under the care of One, who can do all things, and who will never forget what is committed to his hands ! Sometimes I have been called to see the mother lie on the death-bed, and leave her dear little children behind her, without any mother to take care of her babes ; and I notice that she always commits them to our Heavenly Father, who is faithful to his promises. She must die, but she feels sure that God will live, and that he will take care of her little ones. And sometimes I have seen the mother hang over the little bed on which her dear child lay dying, or bending over the coffin in which its beautiful little body lay, — and I have seen that, amid all her tears, she could 4 48 THE LOST CHILD. [Lect. IL The dead child. Mary in tears. feel that her babe was safe. O, there is One who is so great that nothing can be lost from his sight, nothing so far off that he cannot reach it, nothing so lowly that he cannot raise it up. The little coffins in which we place the precious dust of little children will soon decay and be no more ; but the eye of God will keep it all safe. They may be out of our sight, but he will always see them. O Mary ! blessed above women ! thy feet are weary in walking the streets of Jerusalem seeking for the lost child, and thy tears fall fast and thick, and thy head throbs with pain, and thy heart aches with sorrow ! But cheer up, weeping one ! thy child is safe ! God will take care of him ! #fe LECTURE III. THE CHILD FOUND. And it came to pass, that, after three days, they found him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed : and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us f behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing ! — Luke ii. 46-48. Contents. — Teaching by the bud. Training of the horse. A great fact. The little girl and the Bible Society. Little Alice. Children walking. The physician. Surgeon. Moses. Luther. Washington. Our story. The search. The council-chamber. The voice ! The child found. Gentle reproof. God's great plan. Acorn. Bright day. Making a man. How Christ came. Picture of Christ. Bad imitations. About his Fa- ther's business. Learning subjection. Like Jesus. Sleeping boy and his mother. The sick child. How we came to have the story. Whom does God honor ? Lost children found. Heaven. The joy of angels. We have very few blessings which do not come to US through suffering. If the httle bud that swells, and seems so unable to burst open 52 THE CHILD FOUND. [Lect. HL Teaching by the bud. Great fact. its covering, could speak and feel, I doubt not it would tell us that we never look upon the bright face of a beautiful ilow^er that is not the result of suffering. In proportion as the horse is well trained and gentle, he had to suffer in being broken in, and learning to be so gentle, and to have no will of his own. The white, beautiful teeth of a little child, that look so much like ivory, caused much pain before they grew up in that regular row. There was once a poor little girl who had no Bible, and so she had to walk miles every week to read a Bible and get her Sabbath-school lesson. Her little bare feet ached, and her body w^as weary, and she was one day found shedding tears over her lot, — in not having a Bible nearer ! Many a long, weary walk she took, through much suffering. At last a good minister of Jesus found her, and not only got her the book, but the story moved many good Lect. III.] THE CHILD FOUND. 53 Little girl and the Bible Society. Little Alice. Children walking. men till they came together and formed the British and Foreign Bible Society, — the great- est Bible Society in the world ! And so that great Society came into being by the tears and sufferings of a little girl ! Some years ago a gentleman in Hartford had a beautiful little daughter. But O how the parents grieved when they found that she was deaf and dumb, and could never speak or hear! She was bright and lovely, and no child among them all nestled so near the father's heart as little Alice ! And so anxious was he for her, that he had no rest till the Deaf and Dumb Asylum was established, at which hundreds and hundreds of such unfortunate children have since been educated. So all this great good seemed to grow out of the sufferings of little Alice ! The child cannot learn to walk without many a fall. He cannot have his teeth without much 54 THE CHILD FOUND. [Lect. HL The physician. Surgeon. Moses. Luther. pain in the gums, and hard suiFering ! Our blessings come to us through suffering. The physician who is so wise and so skilful when we are sick, — knowing just what to do, — had to see many a sick one before he learned all this. The surgeon who is so skilful that he can cut off a broken limb, or cut out a terrible tumor, must go into the hospital many, many times before he can become so skilful. He must see many a limb cut off, and many an operation with the knife and the saw, before he can know how to do such things. He must grow to be a surgeon through much suffering. Somebody must suffer, or he would not have the skill. There could have been no such great and good man as Moses, had there not been great sufferings among the chil- dren of Israel in Egypt. There could have been no such man as Martin Luther, had there not been a dreadful state of things among the people. Lect. III.] THE CHILD FOUND. 55 Washington. Our story. The search. There could have been no such great and good man as Washington, had not the troubles of his country raised him up. He grew up in the midst of suffering. Just so the beautiful story of Christ's being lost and found when a little boy, which so many thousands and millions will read over with admiration, had to be connected with the sufferings of his mother. How many tears she shed ! how many sleepless hours she spent ! how little food she took ! how she wandered all over the city inquiring for her child ! What had become of him] Had he gone Up on the walls of the city, and, leaning over, fallen off] Had he gone up to the pinnacle of the Temple and fallen off] Had any of the wild men of the desert caught him and carried him off, to sell him into slavery in Egypt, • — as Joseph was sold ] Should she find him dead ] Or would she never see his face again ] 56 THE CHILD FOUND. [Lect. III. The council-chamber. Ah, Mary ! it was told thee that a sword should be thrust through thee, and this is the point of the sword and its first prickings ! At night she dreams of him, and starts up from her sleep, thinking she hears his voice calling her name ! She listens to the watchman's cry, — and they shout, as they have done for three days back, " A child lost ! " "A child lost ! " Towards the close of the third day, when the multitude were hastening up to the Temple, at the hour of sacrifice, the anxious, pale, and care-worn mother is seen mingling with the crowd. Her eye pierces among them, and rests upon every child. But he is not among them ! At last, weary and sad, the mother leans against a pillar that separates between the court where the people stop, and the great council-chamber where the great teachers and learned men meet. The door stands ajar, and she hears their voices. Now she starts ! — for she hears a voice that Lect. III.] THK CHILD FOUND. 57 The voice ! The child found. she knows ! Is it possible ! She rushes in ! The council are so much taken up, that they do not notice that a woman — a thing never per- mitted — is among them ! Now she stops sud- denly and stands still ! Is it because she is awed at the sight of that great room, with its huge pillars all round it, the great dome rising up so high over it, the splendid ceilings, the carved chairs and seats, the rich tapestry and curtains, the marble floor all laid out in different colors like a rich carpet '? Is it be- cause she is afraid at the sound of her own footsteps upon the marble] How still she stands ! She hardly breathes ! and now she turns paler still ! Now the tears come rolling down her cheeks ! How she trembles ! What ails the w^oman ! Ah ! she sees her child, — her lost one, — alive, — well ! He is in the very middle of the room, surrounded by the great doctors and teachers ! His eye is calm, 58 THE CHILD FOUND, [Lect. HI. Gentle reproof. God's great plan. his voice is natural, — he is not thinking of himself. He is asking those learned teachers deep questions. They are all looking at him, astonished at his knowledge of divine things, — his knowledge of the Scriptures, and the plans and the ways of God. They feel that he can teach them. They wonder over the boy. Just then he catches the eye of his mother, and, partly in reproof and partly in amazement, she cries: "My son, why hast thou dealt thus with US'? We have been in great distress, fearing thou wert lost. We have searched and mourned with deep sorrow ! " She says but little, and that in gentle tones, for she is awed by what she hears and sees. She receives no reproof from the great men into whose presence she has come, for they see that she is the anxious mother of that w^onderful child! It is God's way to bring out his plans by degrees. When he intends to make an oak. Lect. III.] THE CHILD FOUND. 59 Acorn. Bright day. Making a man. he does not touch the ground and cause the great tree to tower up and spread out its wide branches in a moment. The little acorn must be first made. Perhaps a child's foot treads it into the ground. It lies there in the cold, dark ground a long time. Then it swells, and bursts open, then sends up the little shoot; and so it grows from year to year, till it slowly, and after a long time, becomes the oak. When God intends to create a bright, beau- tiful day, he does not cause the sun to rush up instantly, leaping out of dark midnight into full day; but he opens the eye of day very slowly. First the faint glimmer, then the soft gray, then the yellow tints, then the light, like a thin mantle, falling over every- thing. So, when God is to make a great and good man, he does not let him leap up from the cradle into the strong man in a moment, but 60 THE CHILD FOUND. [Lect. IH. How Christ came. slowly he must pass along, — the infant, the child, the youth, the young man, and the mature man of strength. This is God's way in everything. Just so, in sending his own Son to redeem this world. He did not send him wrapped in a cloud, as when he gave the ten command- ments on Sinai ; he did not send him in the bright form of an angel coming on the clouds as his chariot; no, nor even as a full-grown man. He sent him here as a child, — so that he might know how children feel, — because he was to be the Saviour of children. " He learned obedience," to teach us how to honor and obey our parents. He was revealed by degrees. The great council of the nation had the opportunity of knowing him in his very childhood twice ; once when he was born, and the wise men came from the east and asked about him, and now, by meeting him in the Lect. III.] THE CHILD FOUND. 61 Picture of Christ. Temple, and seeing and hearing him. He him- self teaches us that his kingdom — though it is to be an everlasting kingdom — is to grow up, like the mustard-plant, from a little seed. Suppose, now, a man could dig up from under the ruins of the old Temple at Jerusalem a true and exact picture of the boy Jesus as he sat in the midst of these doctors, hearing and asking them questions, and it could be proved to everybody that this was a true picture of the scene, and an exact portrait of him. How much money Avould men give for that picture ! It would sell for a kingdom ! And yet it would not be very valuable. It would be only a curiosity. It would not show us how Christ looked, on the morning of his death, nor how he looks now. The picture would not give us so good an idea of him as this beautiful story does. This shows him — his soul, his spirit — to us, just as we want to see it. We cannot 62 THE CHILD FOUND. [Lect. IIL Bad imitations. About his Fatlier's business. think of a more beautiful situation in which he could have been placed. If we had a pic- ture . of Christ, — if God had so ordered it that we had an exact picture of Christ, — we might have Avorshipped it ; or his disciples might think that they were imitating him, and being like him, if they wore their hair as he did, or dressed as he did, or wore their beard as he did. But now we know we are not like him unless we feel like him, do like him, and think like him. He was about his Father's business ! And yet what was he doing ] He was going to the Temple and learning about God and his king- dom. He went to learn. He Avent to fit himself for doing good hereafter. And he has left us, not a picture of himself as he then looked, not the coat or the sandals (shoes) that he wore, not a lock of hair, but something more precious. He has left us his example, — Lect. III.J the child FOUND. 63 Learning subjection. Like Jesus. his beautiful example when but twelve years old! Gently the mother took him by the hand and led him towards their humble home. She was filled with awe and wonder, and silently pon- dered these things in her heart. Meekly and quietly he walked by her side, — perhaps now and then dropping a word about the lofty things he had been talking about in the presence of the doctors. Will a child love to go up to the house of God and listen to the teachings of his word, and hear about the great kingdom and glory of God ] Yes ; if he is like Jesus ! Will a child who knows more about some things than even his mother, be ready to obey her and honor and love her ? Yes ; if he is like Jesus ! Will a child who can converse with great and learned men, and even astonish them, be willing - Q4: THE CHILD FOUND. [Lect. HL Sleeping boy and his mother. The sick child. to be subject to his mother, and be to her a kind and dutiful child ? Yes ; if he is like Jesus Christ, — our pattern, — he will ! When the day closed, and the gladdened but weary mother came to seek the pillow on which she had found no rest for the last three nights, do you doubt that she knelt down and gave God thanks for the recovery of her lost child ] And as she went into his room once more, to look again upon the face that was never flushed by anger, that was never clouded by impatience, that never frowned or scowled in moroseness, and saw him WTapped in the soft slumbers of innocence, did she not have her eyes fill with tears, and thank God again and again 1 The lost child was found and before her! And will not the mother who has been hang- ing over the couch of her sick child, and seen it droop like a flower, and fade like a rose, and Lect. III.] THE CHILD FOUND. 65 How we came to have the story. come down near the grave, — so near that she felt that it was gone, and she must lose it, — O, if God gives her to find the lost child again, and to have it restored to her, will she not thank God again and again, and ponder these things in her heart] This story of the young prophet of Nazareth had never been written, if he had gone up to the Temple merely to see it, as boys often go to some show ; or if he had gone up to the Temple to show how much he knew and how learned he was ; or if he had gone that he might ask puzzling questions. But no ! he went up that he might be about his Fathers business ! God looketh on the heart, and them that honor him he will honor. Those learned men thought that they were great men, and should be greatly missed when they died, and have rich and costly funerals and splendid tombs, and have their names go down to pos- 5 66 THE CHILD FOUND. [Lect. HI. Whom does God honor? Lost children found. terity ! But who knows where they were buried, or even what their names were] while the child that stood before them, and who was about his Father's business, shall be known, honored, loved, and obeyed, — not only while the sun and the moon endure, but even for ever and ever ! O, how many a mother has thought her child, so cherished and so dear, was lost, lost for ever, as it dropped from her arms, and an unseen messenger carried it away out of her sight ! How she has mourned as she turned back from the graveyard to her desolate home, to meet his form, to hear his voice, no more ! How she has felt that she had lost him, as she looked over his drawer and saw all his playthings just as he left them, — the books that he read, the knife that he used, the slate on which he drew figures ! How his form came back and lived in the chambers of her Lect. III.] THE CHILD FOUND. 67 Heaven. The joy of angels. memory ! and how she dreamed about him in the night, and felt his warm breath upon her cheek, and then awoke and felt that he was lost ! Lost ! O no ! when she meets that child again, he may be — not in the Temple sitting among the doctors and asking them questions — but he may be in the midst of the shining angels in heaven, and thus her sorrow be turned into "joy unspeakable and full of glory." " The child is found ! " Thus the tidings ran through all the circle of kindred and friends at Nazareth, — and thus they all rejoiced with Joseph and Mary when they heard the story. Thus, too, when a sinful child returns to his Heavenly Father, and repents of sin, and be- comes a Christian, the tidings are known in heaven, and " I say unto you there is joy in heaven in the presence of the angels over one sinner that repenteth ! " Then the lost one is found ! Then the dead one returns to life ! 68 THE CHILD FOUND. [Lect. HI. The joy of angels. Then the sick one recovers ! Then, anxiety about him is all over. The lost child is found ! is the joy of heaven when one soul comes to Christ for salvation. Do you think there has ever been any such joy over you, my dear children? Do you think you shall ever be found, all safe and good in heaven, as the child Jesus was in the Temple at Jerusalem? May God grant it ! LECTUEE ly. GATHERED LILIES. My beloved is gone down into his garden, to gather lilies. — Song of Solomox vi. 2. Contents. — The modest flower, — how used. Ancient gods. Christ's gar- den. The cliild's coffin. Its new home. The flower gathered. A beauti- ful picture. What are Christ's lilies. First method of gathering them. The polar bear. The mother's love. Home a school. The orphan. The family of the dead minister. Christ's school-house. Second method of gathering flowers. The missionary's memory. Sabbath-school results. Pastor. Lawyer. Teachers. Lake on the mountain. Third method of gathering lilies. The child and the wise man. The blind beggar. Child's faith. Child in the woods. Child's religion and faith. Voices of nature. The dumb oak. Fourth way of gathering lilies. The mourning lily. The transplanted lily. Christ's lilies. Garden of heaven. Lesson learned. Christ the glorious ! Christ's visits; Second lesson learned. Parents. Teachers. Children. In our American gardens, in some shady, retired corner, you will find a modest, lowly flower, with large, deep-green leaves, and a profusion of blossoms of the purest white and of the sweetest perfume. It is the " Lily of the 70 GATHERED LILIES. [Lect. IV. The modest flower. How used. Ancient gods. valley." Our daughters place the flower in the hair of the young bride ; and many a little hand of the infant in his coffin have I seen clasped around this beautiful flower. The fair brow of the bride, and fairer brow of the little one sleeping in death, — like alabaster, brighter the nearer you bring it to the light, — is adorned by the presence of this lily. In ancient times, they felt that the care of the world and all the different things in it was too much for one God, and so they fool- ishly contrived to have many gods, and pre- tended that every mountain, and every river and fountain, every tree and flower, and even every stalk of grain, had a god or goddess to take care of it. And still, they knew that this god, though he had but one thing to do, could not take care of the mountain, so that the earthquake might not shake it down ; or the river, so that it would not dry up, or over- Lect. IV.] GATHERED LILIES. 71 Christ's garden. The child's coffin. flow its banks ; or the fountain, so that it would not cease to flow ; or the tree, so that the wind woidd not hurl it over ; or the flower, so that it would not wither ; or the stalk of wheat, so that it would not blast. Christ sometimes calls his Church a vine- yard, in which he raises the choicest fruit of the vine. Sometimes a garden, in which are planted trees and shrubs, spices, trees of frankincense, myrrh, aloes, cinnamon, pomegranates, lilies, and flowers. And among all these there is none more beautiful than the lilies. It is these that he gathers the most frequently. And when I stand over the little coflin containing the babe so fair, so like marble, so unlike anything earth- ly, with a beauty which death could not efl'ace, — the lily with the dew still fresh on it, — no more to bloom here, but with the dust shaken from it and gently transplanted to the garden above in which to bloom for ever, — 72 GATHERED LILIES. [Lect. IV. Its new home. The flower gathered. I always recall the words of our text, and feel that Christ has come down into his garden to gather lilies ! We do not know what the little one would have been here. We do not know through what dangers or sorrows or pains it would have passed here, but we know it has gone to God to be educated, and will never remember any other home but heaven. It will not remember the few days of its wailings here, nor the sobs of its mother as she saw it dressed for the grave. The lily was gathered before the cold storms beat on it, or the burning sun had taken away its beauty. Death lifted it up so gently, that he left no marks of his hands upon it, except his seal which closed the ear, the eye, and stilled the beatings of the little heart. But it is not about transplanted flowers that I am wishing at this time to speak ; though if I were to try to describe something beautiful as Lect. IV.] GATHERED LILIES. 73 What would be a beautiful picture. What are Christ's lilies? a diamond, and sublime enough for a picture which an angel might paint, I should select some little child who very early began to seek after Jesus, who lisped his praises here, and in the sublimity of simple faith went over the river of death, without a fear or a terror ! We have seen such lilies gathered. I am think- ing this moment of a sweet child of this very church, who stood at the grave of her mother and young sister, and with her little hand pointed out the spot between them, where, she begged her father, she might be buried ! What a sickness that child went through ! And what confidence in her Saviour, as she struggled on towards him, through suffering, and was finally gathered to him with a faith that a Moses might admire ! Such pictures never fide from the memory ! There is no part of his garden which Christ loves more to visit than the flowers, — the lilies. 74 GATHERED LILIES. [Lect. IV. First method of gathering. The polar bear. He has taken great pains for their being taken care of. Let us see now what the great Re- deemer has done to gather in the lilies of his erardcn, — the children of his Church. 1. He gathers them under the care and love of their parents. God plants the seeds of love in the heart of all creatures, so that, as soon as they have their young committed to them, they love them with a very strong love. The most savage beast will fight for her young, die for her young, and, if need be, will starve herself to give it food. Bleeding, wounded, dying, they will think only of their young. What child has not shed tears over that affecting story of the white, polar bear, which the sailors shot on the ice, after having shot her cubs, when she fell between them and died, licking their wounds ] The beautiful story is old, but so to the point that I feel that I must tell it. Lect. IV.] GATHERED LILIES. 75 The polar bear. A ship of war, the Carcase, was sent to make discoveries towards the north pole. While frozen and locked in the ice, the man at the masthead gave notice, early one morning, that three white bears were directing their course towards the ship. They had no doubt been invited by the scent of the blubber of a sea-horse, killed by the crew a few days before, and which had been set on fire and was burning on the ice at the time of their ap- proach. They proved to be an old bear with her two cubs ; but the cubs were nearly as large as the dam. They ran eagerly to the fire, and snatched from the flames portions of the fish that re- mained unconsumed, and ate it as if they were very hungry. The crew threw upon the ice great lumps of flesh also, which they had still on hand. These the old bear fetched away singly, laid them before her cubs, and, dividing 76 GATHERED LILIES. [Lect. IV. The polar bear. them, gave to each a share, reserving but a small portion for herself. As she was fetching away the last piece, the sailors levelled their muskets at the cubs, and shot them dead, and in her retreat they wound- ed the dam, but not mortally. It w^ould have drawn tears of pity from any but the most ft unfeeling, to have seen the affectionate concern expressed by this beast in the last moments of her dying young. Though she was herself dreadfully wounded, she still retained in her mouth the piece of ilesh, and, though weak with the loss of blood, carried it back to her cubs, tore it in pieces, and laid it before them ; and when she saw that they refused to eat, she laid her paws upon one, and then upon the other, and endeavored to raise them up, all the while moaning most piteously. When she found that she could not stir them, she went off, and, when she had got some Lkct. IV.] GATHERED LILIES. 77 The polar bear. The mother's love. distance, looked back and moaned; that not availing to entice them away, she returned, and, smelling around them, began to lick their wounds. She went off a second time, as before, and, having crawled a few paces, looked again behind her, and for some time stood moaning. But still her cubs not rising to follow her, she returned to them again, and with signs of inex- pressible fondness went round pawing them, still moaning. Finding at last that they were cold and lifeless, she raised her head towards the ship, and uttered a growl of despair, which the crew returned with a volley of musket-balls. She fell between her cubs and died licking their wounds. Who does not know that, after the drunken husband has stripped his home of everything that he can sell with which to buy drink, the poor mother will gather her babes around 78 GATHEEED LILIES. [Lect. IV. Home a school. her, and, while the cold storm is raging out of doors, will give them the last mouthful of food she has, going without herself, and then, taking off the poor remnants of her shawl, will wrap them in it, and bend over them as they murmur for food in their slumbers, praying that she may not die because nobody else will take care of these helpless ones ? No child can ever know how many times his parents have risen in the night for him, watched over his cradle, trembled for his safety, or how many times the praying parent has commended him to the Infinite Redeemer. Who teaches the child to speak, to walk, to know its letters, to take care of himself] Who teaches him the name of God and the first words of prayer 1 Home is the garden ! There the earnest prayer goes up every day for the child. There he is trained. There he hears Christ spoken of, and spoken to, with reverence Lect. IV.] GATHERED LILIES. 79 The orphan. The minister's family. and tenderness. There he hears God's word read every day. He cannot remember when these things were new to him. There he sees the world laid aside, and the Sabbath welcomed. There he hears of the mercy of Christ shown in the conversion of men, in the death of the righteous, and in the hopes of the living. The most sacred thing in the dwelling, is the family altar. Sometimes the little child has no home and no parents to train him thus. But God has made special promises to such, and he takes peculiar care of him. I once knew a good minister and his wife both carried to the grave nearly at the same time, leaving a family of children. I was amazed to see how quickly loving hearts were raised up, and kind homes opened for them. Among them was a sweet little boy about a year old. On my mentioning the case at an evening meeting, a gentleman and 80 GATHERED LILIES. [Lect. IV. Christ's school-house. Second method of gathering flowers. his wife at once said they would adopt him and make him their own. But before they could get him, he was sent for to go up where his father and mother were, and the frail lily was gathered there ! It was affecting to see how the new parents, who wanted to adopt him, were disappointed, and how they grieved. And many an orphan on whose head the hand of a dying father or mother has been laid, has found other hearts to love him, other hands to feed him, and others to train him up in the way of the Lord. The family is the school-house of the Church of Jesus Christ. 2. He gathers the lilies in the Sahhath school. There are but few men now who cannot look back to the time when they went to the Sabbath school. Perhaps the man is now sitting down alone in China, the opposite side of our great world, and is sending his thoughts all the way back to his country. He seems to see the home Lkct. IV.] GATHERED LILIES. 81 The missionary's memory. Sabbath-scliool results. where he used to live when a child, the old gate on which he swung, the deep well from which he used to drink, the kind friends who took care of him. And now he seems to hear the old church-bell ring, and to see the people gather for worship, and he seems to see the little boys and girls gather with him in the Sabbath school. He sees the very pew in which he sat, and now the face and the form of that good, faithful Teacher rises up before him ! He remembers how kind and gentle he was, how patient and meek he was, and how he used to speak of Christ with tears. He remem- bers how his own heart was affected, and how there, in that school, he first felt that he was a sinner, and needed a Saviour, and there he first felt the love of Christ in his heart. He was gathered into the school, and then gathered into the school of Christ. There he learned to be a missionary of the cross. And he is such 6 82 GATHERED LILIES. [Lect. IV. Missionary. Pastor. Lawyer. a missionary to China to-day. And were men to come together from the east and the west, the north and the south, rnd tell when, and where, and how, they were brought to Christ, one would say, "I am a missionary of Christ, and was gathered to him in the Sabbath school.'* Another would say, "I am a pastor of a church of Jesus, and in the Sabbath school I was first led to him." Another would say, " I am a Christian lawyer, and I bless God for the Sabbath school." " So do I," says the Christian physician. " I was never taught to go to the Great Physician, till I went to the Sabbath school." " And there," says the Christian merchant, " I learned to buy the pearl of great price, and to be a commission merchant for Jesus Christ." There are thousands of children who have no parents, and God is their father. There are thousands more whose parents do not instruct Lkct. IV.] GATHERED LILIES. 83 Lake on the mountains. Third method of gathering lilies. them in the family, and so he touches the hearts of the good, and puts into their heart a desire to do good, and thus they become teachers. The minister is told to feed the lambs of his flock, and there is no way that he can do it so well as to train up good teachers for the Sabbath school. It is like a great lake on the top of the mountain. The Bible is the lake. Minis- ters are the great pipes which draw out the water, and these teachers are the many pipes which carry it to every house. Or, to use the figure in our text, the church is the garden, and the children are the flowers — the lilies which grow in the garden, and the teachers are the gardeners, who go among them to keep out the weeds, to give each one water and air and sun- light, and thus make them beautiful for the owner of the garden, Jesus Christ. 3. He gathers the lilies hi/ converting their souls. Some think the little child cannot be convert- g4 GATHERED LILIES. [Lect. IV. The child and the wise man. The blind beggar. ed, because he is too young to understand re- ligion. They might just as well say he cannot live on food, because he cannot tell how the grass that feeds the ox is turned into flesh, and then nourishes him. They might as well say he cannot be warmed with his clothes, because he cannot tell how the grass which the sheep eats is turned into wool, and how the wool is made into cloth. The greatest man that ever lived cannot tell how the grass is turned into flesh or into wool, and thus made to nourish or warm us. The little child can eat the food and live. The philosopher can do no more. He can put on his garments and be warm. The great and learned man can do no more. A poor blind beggar once cried out in the street, and asked Christ to have mercy on him. "What did he want I Lord, that my eyes might be opened. How could he tell how Christ could open his eyes \ And when he had them cured, Lect. IV.] GATHERED LILIES. 85 The child's fiiith. Child in the woods. what could he say, when they asked him, " How opened he thine eyes '? " " By what means he opened mine eyes, I know not ; but one thing I know, that whereas I was blind, I now see ! " Could the greatest man that ever lived say more "? Every child knows what it is to love his mother, but can he tell you anything more about it than he feels it ? Could any man say more? Every child can take hold of his father's hand and go with him in the dark, and this is having faith in his father ; but he cannot tell you what faith is ! A little child once got lost in the woods, and night came on, and it grew dark, and they could not find him for a long time. At last he lay down under a log, cold and afraid, and cried as loud as he dared. At length he heard some one calling. He was afraid at first that it was a wild beast. Then he plainly heard his own 86 GATHERED LILIES. [Lect. IV. Child's religion and faith. The voices of nature. name. Still he did not stir. But when the voice came nearer and he heard his own name called, he stopped crying and jumped up and went to- wards the voice. He could not see anything, but he heard his father's voice and ran to him ! Thus he could have faith, though he could not tell what faith was. The child Samuel could say, " Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth," though he could not know the voice of the Lord from the voice of Eli. So the little child can believe in Christ and love Christ, though he cannot know all the deep things in religion. He can live upon the sincere milk of the word, and grow thereby, and that is all that is necessary for his being gath- ered to Christ. The beautiful rose does not know how the dews of the night refresh it and revive it, but they do. The modest lily, that peeps up and catches a few of the bright sunbeams, does not Lect. IV.] GATHERED LILIES. 87 The dumb oak. Fourth way of gathering lilies. know how they make it white and pure, but they do. The valley that lies at the foot of the mountain, does not know how the gentle rills that run down the sides of the mountain, bursting out from hundreds of little springs, make it bright and fertile, but they do. So the little one does not know how he believes on Christ, and how he lives by faith, but he does. And the tall tree of the forest, and the giant oak on the hill, can no more tell how they are nourished by the rain and the sun- shine, than can the little violet that grows in the crack of a rock ; and the lofty tree in the garden and the frail lily are alike fed, they know not how. When the child has said that he feels love to Christ in his heart, could a Newton, with all his great mind, say any more ] 4. He gathers the lilies into the garden of heaven. Suppose you should go into a beautiful gar- 88 GATHERED LILIES. [Lect. IV. The mourning lily. The transplanted lily. den, and, as you stooped down to admire a sweet lily, it should droop its leaves, and shut up its flowers, and say to you, " Sir, I am a mourner ! I had a beautiful child by my side which grew from my root. It opened its flow- ers and mingled its leaves with mine, and waved its head, and seemed daily to smile upon me. It seemed to me there was never a lily so white and pure and beautiful ! But one day there came a man with a spade, and he rudely dug up my child, and tore its roots from mine, and then crowded it into a small pot and carried it off. He said not a word to me. He gave not a word of explanation ; but he silently carried away my child." What would you say to that mourning lily] Why, you would say, " Do not grieve. That man who seemed so rude, was the owner of the garden, and he put the young lily in the flower-pot, and has carried it into his own Lect. IV.] GATHERED LILIES. 89 Christ's l.lies. Garden of heaven. parlor, where, under his own eye, it will be sheltered from the storms and cold winds and snows of winter, and where it will bloom in its beauty continually. He came himself and gathered his lily, and gently removed it to the warm place where he himself lives ! " Do you not understand me, children ] Does not Christ thus come to his garden and gather lilies, and remove them to his own beautiful home in the heavens ? No storms come there. No crying is heard there. No tears are shed there. It is called the Paradise, or garden of the Lord. Here, the garden is a beautiful place, but it was in a garden that Adam sinned, and it was in a garden that Jesus was exceeding sorrowful, even unto death, and it was in a garden that he found a tomb! But in the paradise above, there shall be nothing of sin, of sorrow, or of death. The serpent shall not draw his trail over the flowers; tears shall not 90 GATHERED LILIES. [Lect. IV. Lesson learned. Christ the glorious ! fall among them, and death shall leave no foot- prints there. By this subject, as I hope, you are prepared to see, — 1. One beautiful trait in our blessed Saviour's character. He can teach senators wisdom. Kings reign by his aid, and princes decree justice by his teachmg. The wisest man that ever lived grows wiser, if Christ teaches him. The great- est man that ever lived is greater by sitting at Christ's feet. The poet sings more sweetly if the spirit of Jesus touches his harp. The eloquent man rises to a loftier place, if he bor- rows his iire from the altar of God. The pal- ace of the king is more beautiful for having Christ in it, and the hall of legislation is more honored if he presides in it. He walks among the stately buildings of the great city, and makes the air purer, and the rich people bet- ter ; but he goes to the cottage, and sows by Lkct. IV.] GATHERED LILIES. 91 Christ's visits. Second lesson learned. the side of the door a plant called Contentment, and it grows and covers the poor man's cot- tage, and makes all within happy. He comes to the bed of the sick, and leaves an angel there, whose name is Submission, and the feeble one weeps no more ! He comes to the little child, and becomes his companion, and that " little child may die an hundred years old." He comes into his garden, and there gathers the lilies which he places in his garden above for ever ! Just as well fitted to be the child's friend, as if he thought only of him and planned only for him ! 2. We all see duties that fall upon us. Ministers must not neglect the lambs of the flock. They must think much of the children, and pray for them, and see that they are faith- fully instructed, because these are the lilies which Christ comes to gather. Parents must not grieve too much, or think 92 GATHERED LILIES. [Lect. IV. Parents. 'leachers. Children. the little ones are lost which Christ takes from their arms, for they are gathered lilies ! They must not fail to train up their families faith- fully and prayerfully, because from these he will yet gather his lilies. Sabbath-school teachers ! consider the lilies ! They are for you to water and nurture and cultivate. No fairer flowers grow in all the garden of God, — none that Christ thinks more of, — none whom he loves more ! I hear him say to you, " Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God." Children ! There is not one among you all of whom Christ does not think. The Hly ! How easily soiled ! How worthless when ruined ! So does sin look horridly on a child ! You must not use profane words, nor do bad deeds, nor have wicked thoughts, for ye are -Christ's lilies. LECTUEE V. THE LITTLE SHIP. And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him. — Mark iii. 9. Contents. — A curious family. Curious birds. The owner. A strange supposition. What is power? Life of Christ. The birds a text. How the birds live. The liUes. Christ's servants. Peter and the fish. The fish is Christ's. The little ship. How the boat was made. How long in building it. Christ riding. The wild ass. A quiet servant. The young choir. A chair provided. A mountain a servant. Servants always ready. The sick wait for him. The river Jordan. Angels are servants. Two times of need. The garden of agony. The angel's aid. Specimens of heaven. Conversation of heaven. Spirits wait on Christ. A tomb waiting on him. A wonder! Many servants. A great Saviour. Heaven waits on Christ. Harvesters. All things are servants. Servants for ever. The little child called. My dear children, I once went into a gentle- man's grounds on which he had all kinds of forest-trees that would grow in this climate, all kinds of shrubs and flowers, and all kinds of fruit-trees. And then he had a great yard in which were deer, and curious animals, pea- 96 THE LITTLE SHIP. [Lect. V. A curious family. Curious birds. The owner. cocks and fowls, and all kinds of doves. Some of these he kept because they had such strange voices and made such awful noises ; some be- cause they were so beautiful in form or color ; some because they were so strange in shape. Some of the doves had curious tails, some curious feathers, and some seemed to have great, huge breasts, as if they had a small pillow under their feathers. Then he had many kinds of geese and ducks diving and tumbling in a little pond. Then he had horses, great ones and little ones, and many other animals and birds. Now you say, this must be a very rich man. And so I have no doubt he is. God has given him a great deal of money. Whether he ought to spend it in this way, when there are so many poor children who need homes and schools and books, is a question you may think of. But would you not love to have all these things for your own \ So many playthings \ Lect. v.] the little SHIP. 97 A strange supposition. What is power? But suppose, now, that this rich man had the power to make these creatures all do just as he pleased ; so that, when he wanted, the horses would come up to the door of themselves ; and when he wanted, the hens would run and lay their eggs, and geese would scream, and the doves coo, and the birds sing, and the fish leap about, and the trees rustle their leaves, and the flowers open and smile on him, and the fruiS tree drop its ripe fruit just at the moment he wanted it ; and the duck would lead oif just as many little ducklings as he wanted ; and the birds would fly at his command, and the deer leap before him, and the peacock spread his tail just when he wanted him to do it ! And all as if these creatures were his servants to wait on him, and to do just what and just when he wanted ! Would he not be a very great and a very rich man '? Would he not have what we call a great deal of power ? 98 THE LITTLE SHIP. [Lect. V. Life of Christ. The birds a text. In the four Gospels which have been written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we have an account of the life of Jesus Christ. It was said of him, that all things should be put under his feet; that all things should be his servants. Now let us see how this was. At a certain time Christ wanted to teach his disciples not to be over-anxious about what they should eat, or what they should drink, or how they should be clothed. (Matthew vi. 25 - 34.) Just then he wanted some birds from which he could instruct them, and, behold ! the birds are there ! He points to a flock of birds feeding near by^ — contented, happy, and free from care. " Behold the fowls of the air ; for they sow not, neither do they reap nor gather into barns, yet your Heavenly Father feedeth them ! Are ye not much better than they "? " The storms would come, and the cold winds would blow, and the snow and ice would fall. They have Lect. v.] the little SHIP. 99 How the birds live. The lilies. no wheat laid up in the storehouse. They have no Avarm home provided. What will they do ? Ah ! the same great Power that brought them to the road-side just at the moment he wanted them to preach from, will take care of them ! They do not know how to plough or sow or reap. They have not mind enough nor strength enough to sow or reap ; but God will take care of them. He has already made the tree to grow in which they shall be sheltered. He knows just where every worm and every seed will be found when they are hungry. So when he wanted flowers to preach about, behold, the lilies stand in the field just by, and he points to them ! What a multitude ! How they hang, all painted and dotted and striped and beauti- ful! Are his friends afraid they will want for clothing ? " Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow ; they toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his 7 100 THE LITTLE SHIP. [Lect. V. Christ's servants. Peter and the fish. glory was not arrayed like one of these ! " What a lesson does he teach ^ But think how the lilies were there, standing silent and still, like servants, before their Master, just at the time and place that Christ wanted them. They were all his servants. At another time men came to Christ to collect taxes. He had no money. He had not been anxious about it. But now when wanted, where shall he get it I He tells Peter, one of his friends, to go down to the lake and throw in his fish-hook, and the first fish that he catches shall have in his mouth just the piece of money which he wanted. How beautiful ! Who dropped that money into the lake ] How long had it been lying on the bottom of the lake ] What made the fish pick it up ? And when the fish found that it was not food, ^\h.y did he not spit it out] How came he to bite at Peter's hook, when he had that money in his mouth ? Lect. v.] the little SHIP. 101 The fish is Clirist's. The little ship. Who can answer these questions'? But we know the fish was a servant of Christ, to wait on him, just as really as a man would be, whom he should tell to go and get the money out of a drawer. All the fish of the great sea belong to Christ, and there is not one of them which he does not feed, and not one that is not his servant to wait on him. At another time, when the great multitude of people were crowding around Christ, there was no place for him to stand and preach, and no place to which he could go to pray. So he spake to his disciples that a little ship should wait on him. Now this little boat waited on Christ to be his servant. But see how many things had to be done to get the servant ready ! The tree out of which it was made had to be planted and watched over many, many years, so that no worm should kill it at the roots, so that no wind should break it at the top, so that 102 THE LITTLE SHIP. ILect. V. How the boat made. How long in building it. Christ riding. no lightning should crush it into splinters. It had to grow into a great tree, and then it had to be made into boards, and a boat-builder had to be ready, and the iron for the nails had to be dug out of the earth and all made ready ; and the knees which made the boat hold together had to grow, and everything got ready to build her. And when all made, she must be there ready, and the disciples must be fishermen so as to know how to manage a boat; and when Christ spoke to them to have the little ship wait on him, they had to be ready and willing to obey him ! Thus you see it took a long time to get this servant ready to wait on Christ ; but when he was ready to use it, the little ship was all ready for him ! You remember the beautiful account of our Saviour's riding into Jerusalem, do you not? One of the Prophets had foretold, a long, long time before Christ was born, that he should be Lect. v.] the little SHIP. 103 The wild ass. A quiet servant. SO meek that he would ride upon an ass's colt. When the time came, he had no ass. He was too poor to own one. So he sent his disciples to borrow one. They found him tied w^here two roads came together. They took him, and the owner made no difficulty. He had no saddle, and never had anybody ever sat on his back before. He was a young, wild, unbroken crea- ture. But Christ wanted him, and he was ready. He wanted a saddle, and his disciples take off their garments and put them on the colt's back. And now a great multitude go before and behind, and they sing and shout very loud ; but the ass does not run or feel afraid ! They cut down bushes and throw them all around the ass, but he does not feel afraid. He waits on Christ and is not " ashamed," nor is he " con- founded," nor does he " make haste." Thus he can make the wild ass obey him and wait on him to carry him, or he can make him speak 104 THE LITTLE SHIP. [Lect. V. The young choir. A chair provided. and rebuke the madness of a prophet. You will remember, too, that, at this very time when the ass waited on him, there were others also to do it. The multitude shouted, " Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord ! " and when he got to the Temple, there was a great company of little children. They were all there, and they were all able to sing, " Hosannah in the highest ! " Thus you see that the most stupid creature in the world — the ass — and the most beautiful thing in the world — the little child — can alike wait on Christ and be his servant. He has only to say the word, and these shall all wait on him ! Do these children remember how his disciples once came around Christ, and asked him about the Temple, and Jerusalem, and the end of the world 1 He wanted a place to sit down in plain sight of the Temple and of the city, where he and they could see it all. Where should he go 1 Lkct. v.] the little SHIP. 105 A mountain a servant. Servants always ready. There was no gentleman's country-seat, where he would be invited to go up into the piazza and view the scene ! There was no beautiful car- riage to take them round and show them all the city; and yet there was a place prepared. A little east of the city rose up the Mount of Olivet ; and there, under the spreading branches of the olive-tree, the Saviour sat down and looked down directly on the Temple and on the city. A thousand men could not have built so good a platform for him to sit on. No lofty building could have been raised so convenient. This mountain was the servant of Jesus Christ. It waited for him as really as the little ship ; and when of old he laid (see first chapter of the Epistle to the Colossians) the foundations of this mountain, he knew when and how he would sit down upon it and describe the ruin of Jerusalem and the end of the world. He always found just such servants to wait on him 106 THE LITTLE SHIP. [Lect. V. The sick wait for him. The river Jordan. Angels are servants. as he needed. Did he want to show that he was Lord of the Sabbath and could heal diseases, — even such as nobody else could cure ] Why, there was the Pool of Bethesda, and there was the great multitude of sick folks, and there was the man who had been sick thirty-eight years. And these seemed all to be waiting for him to come and show his great power and mercy. He wanted to be baptized and " fulfil all righteousness," and all things wait for him. There is the river Jordan, and its waters are waiting for him. There is John the Baptist, wondering why Jesus should come to him ; and these all wait on him, like the little ship. There, too, was the Holy Spirit himself, coming down in the form of a dove and resting on him, and a voice from heaven saying, " This is my beloved Son ! " These all wait on Christ ! There were two places and two times when Christ needed help from the angels. One was I^ECT. v.] THK LITTLE SHIP. 107 Two times of need. The garden of agony. when he had heen out in the desert among the wild beasts, fasting and getting his soul ready to begin his work. It was before he preached hardly a single sermon. After being worn out with fasting forty days and forty nights, and tempted till he was very feeble, — probably too feeble to walk, — and when he had nothing to eat, — then the angels came to him and brought him food. They " ministered unto him." The other time and place was the night before his death. He knew that to-morrow he must die. So he went out into a garden, where were trees and shadows, and there knelt down in prayer. He wanted a retired place, and this garden was ready for him. He was in great agony of soul, and wrestled with God in prayer till bloody sweat rolled from his face and fell in great drops upon the ground. Then his strength was gone. Then he was fainting. His disciples were asleep, and there was none to hold up the 108 THE LITTLE SHIP. [Lect. V. The angel's aid. Specimens of heaven. head of the Saviour, and so an angel came and " strengthened him." Perhaps he whispered some sweet texts out of the Bible in his ear. Perhaps he brought some message of comfort from the Eternal Father. Perhaps he told him that his prayer, so earnest and so tearful, had been answered. We know not whether he helped him by holding up his weary head, by giving him a cup of cold w^ater, or by whisper- ing comfort to his soul. We only know that he needed the help of angels, and that they waited on him like the little ship, to do what he might wish or say. Once, when on earth, Christ wanted to show men a specimen of the people who live in heaven. So he took James and John and Peter and went with them up a very high mountain. And there, away from men, and with these witnesses, he himself put on the garments of heaven. How his face shone ! How his Lect. v.] the little SHIP. 109 Conversation of heaven. Spirits wait on Christ. garments hung like melted silver upon him ! How light seemed to pour out and flash out from his whole person ! Then soft footsteps are heard, and two men, !Moses and Elijah the Prophet, come to meet him. They also come in the robes of heaven ! How glad they are to meet him ! How honored above all in heav- en, in having this opportunity to meet him! They do not talk about banks or ships or fac- tories or stores or business or gains or money; they do not talk about places of honor ; — but they talk about his " death " which he was to die at Jerusalem ! He wanted to talk with somebody about it ; for he could not talk with his disciples. They could not understand it. They could not believe he would — so good and so holy a man — be put to death by wicked men! But Moses and Elijah understood it; and when he wanted to talk about it, they were there, all ready. He knew just where to find 110 THE LITTLE SHIP. [Lect. V. A tomb waiting on him. A wonder ! them, and just when they would come. They were like the little ship that waited upon him. And when he came to die, he needed a tomb, lie wanted to borrow one, — not as we want ours, till the resurrection day, — but for only three days. Where will they find one '? They have taken down his body, and are in haste to put it somewhere. Just then a rich man recollects that he has just been hewing a new tomb out of a solid rock, and that it is in his garden near by. A new tomb, and in a solid rock ! No man had ever been buried in it. He had never needed it before; but now, at the very moment when needed, the tomb is all ready ! It is done and waiting for him ! The rock was created and kept and got ready for this very purpose ! Like the little ship, it waited upon him ! How strange it is ! Christ was so poor that he had not where to lay his head, and yet you Lect. v.] the little ship. Ill Many servant?. A great Saviour. see how his servants were around him just when he needed them ! It was as if he spake that they shoukl wait on him, and they did ! He had his servants in the air, in the sea, in the fields, by the wayside, in the river, in the moun- tains, in the solitary garden, in the great city, in the grave, and everywhere. They came around him, the lilies, the birds, the wild ass, the fish, the boat, the men, the angels, and even the Spirit of God, just when he wanted them. The waters would bear him up, so that he could walk on them, to go to his friends, and out of raging storm he could call the sweet calm, and it came ! It is a great thing to have a Saviour so great that he can feed us every dny of our life, clothe us all our days, — who can teach us in our ignorance, be with us when we are sick, and get our coffin ready for us when we die ! But this is but a small part of what Christ can do 112 THE LITTLE SHIP. [Lect. V. Heaven waits on Christ. Harvesters. All things are servants. for every little boy and every little girl in this house. He has angels that he can send, when you die, to carry your soul to him far up in the heaven of heavens. He has a place there, — a beautiful home there, for every one who loves him. The gates of heaven are his servants, and wait upon him, and open to let his friends come in when they come to die. He has the grave of every one prepared, where he puts the body to wait till he comes back to earth ; and he has an angel whose trumpet, at the resurrection, will wake up every sleeper in the grave, and many angels besides, who will go out as the farmer gathers in his harvest, and bring his own people all to heaven. These all wait on him like the little ship ! The great trees wait on him, and shelter his birds, and give shade to his flocks, and fruit to men, and timber for their houses, or timber for their ships, and fuel for their fires. The Lect. V.J THE LITTLE SHIP. 113 Servants for ever. mighty rivers are his, and they run in the channels he has made for them, and they water all the lands where they flow. The rocks are all his, and he uses one to make him a tomb, or others to make him a church, or to stand as a wall to keep the fields where his harvests grow, or to stand over the grave and say a few words about the dead beneath. The silver and the gold are his, and he gives it and takes it away just as he pleases, uses it to print his word, to send out his ministers, or to teach the little child in the Sabbath school. The Sabbath is his servant, sent to speak in a soft, solemn voice, and call men to him. The Bible is his servant, — sent out to instruct all the world, and lead all men to Christ. All the angels in heaven and all the robes of white there, and all the crowns of life there, and all the harps of gold there, are his servants. They all wait on him. And so will the ages of eternity all pass 114 THE LITTLE SHIP. [Leot. V. The little child called. before him, for he " holds the key of death and hell, and he openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth." O children ! he speaks, that every little child should wait on him, and be his friend and servant. And if that little ship that waited on him was honored, how much more will that little boy or that little girl be honored, who obeys him and loves him ! Who of you will be thus honored, — to have him bless you now, and bless you for ever in heaven ] LECTUE,E yi. THE GREAT KIXG. For I am, a great King, saith the Lord of hosts. — Mal. i. 14. Contents. — A rock. Tree. What makes a great king ? First thing. Territory. ^lagnificence. God a great King. How large his kingdom ? What God governs. The song of all creation. Second mark of greatness. Frederick the Great. Earthly king weak. The breakfast table. How many to be fed! Different creatures hungry. A tree and its leaves. One world ! Third mark of greatness. The bee and the squirrel. The echo of the lake. Echoes of conscience. The commandments echoed. Xerxes the king. No mistakes. The tree on the island. Fourth mark of great- ness. God's kingdom old. The old rocks. God's kingdom always new. First inference. Gold lost. The dying saint. Second inference. Fault- finding. David's troubles and song. Who can contend with Him ? A scene in the Alps. The mountain-slide. The ruin. Child and feather. Children, when we say we have stood on a rock, that is not saying whether the rock was large or small, round or square, marble or something else. When we say that we have admired a tree, it is not telling whether the tree was great or small, high or low, straight 8 11(3 THE GREAT KING. [Lect. VI. A Tree. What makes a great king ? or crooked, ash or maple. Human language is so poor, that one word cannot describe a thing, and so we use adjectives, and use two or more words. When we speak of a king, it is not saying whether he is old or young, wise or foolish, strong or weak, honored or despised. But when we speak of a great king, we mean a great deal. He need not be great in stature, or great in size. But to be a great king, — 1. He must have a great kingdom. 2. He must have great power. 3. He must have great wisdom to manage his kingdom. 4. It must be an old kingdom. Let us see now if God has all these, so that he may well say, "I am a great Kingl" 1. Has God a great hingdom to reign over? Sometimes we read of a poor, ignorant Af- rican, who in his own country is called a king, though he has not a suit of clothes to wear, Lect. VI.] THE GREAT KING. 117 First thing. Territory. a decent hovel to live in, or a meal of food fit to be eaten. Sometimes men have the title of king when their dominion is small and poor, — a mere handful of half-starved people. But to be a great king, the man must have a large territory. It must stretch over rivers and mountains, and contain forests of wood, mines of h*on, rocks and marble, clay and sand ; it must have cities and villages, land for wheat and grain, and cattle and wool ; it must have harbors and lakes, canals and roads. A great kingdom, too, must have a great multitude of people, to cut down the forests, to dig out the ore and make it into iron, to cut the rocks and marble into stones shaped for building, to turn the clay into brick and the sand into glass, to till the land and make it yield food and clothing, to build the cities and factories and ships, and manage them all, to dig the canals, and carry 118 THE GREAT KING. [Lect. VI. Magnificence. God a great King. things on them through the country. It must have men to sail the ships, to manage the navy, to make armies to watch and protect all these lives and all this property. A great king, too, has colonies where a part of his subjects may live and trade. He will also have a treas- ury which is never exhausted, and then, as the representative of all this multitude of peo- ple and of all this property, he will have a splendid palace, and a magnificent court, and will be the centre of all honors and offices, and powder and glory. A great king reigns over one nation only. God reigns over all nations and languages and tongues. No matter whether they are white or black, on islands or continents, savage or civilized, — no matter what language they speak, whether they live in cities or in caves of the earth, w^hether on the land or on the water, he is King over all. Other kings have but a Lkct. VI.] THE GREAT KING. 119 How large his kingdom ? What God governs. small part of the earth for their kingdom, but Gocl is over all, — all that live on the earth are his. So are the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and all the bright worlds that sparkle in the sky. If you could fly as fast as the light, and go from star to star, and from world to world, till you had travelled thousands of years, and if you should find all these worlds filled with people, multitudes and multitudes which no man could number, they would all belong to the great King ! Perhaps all the stars that the greatest telescope has ever yet revealed, are no more to what lie beyond them, than one leaf plucked from the unmeasured forest would be to all the rest, — no more than one grain of sand picked up on the sea-shore would be to all the rest. Angels there are ; princi- palities and powers and dominions there are ; men and devils there are ; and God is over all, and governs all. But that is not all. The 120 THE GREAT KING. [Lect. YI. The song of all creation. suns and the stars that move in the heavens, the oceans that swell and roar, the mountams that rise up high towards heaven, the rivers that flow, the brooks that murmur, tlie cattle that feed on the, ground, the birds that move on the wing, the fish that move with the fin, and every wind that shakes the leaf, every atom that is anywhere found, — all are governed by him. He reigns over all, and therefore are all his works called on to praise him. What a shout would fill the universe if all the works and creatures should thus rise up and worship their king ! " Praise ye the Lord from the heavens ; praise him in the heights. Praise ye him, all his angels; praise ye him, all liis hosts. Praise ye him, sun and moon ; praise him, all ye stars of light. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that are above the heavens. Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons and all deeps ; fire and hail ; snow Lect. YL] the great KING. 121 The song of all creation. Second mark of greatness. and vapors ; stormy wind fulfilling liis word ; mountains and all hills ; fruitful trees and all cedars ; beasts and all cattle ; creeping things and flying fowl ; kings of the earth and all people ; princes and all judges of the earth ; both young men and maidens, old men and children. Let them praise the name of the Lord ; for his name alone is excellent ; his glory is above the earth and heaven ! " God not onlv has all these creatures and thinGfs under him, but he governs them ; so that the stars move and shine, the ocean rolls, the winds blow, the seasons change, diseases and deaths come and go, and the storm that rages, and the worm that blights the tree or eats the root, and the insect that opens its wing, and the mote that gets into your eye, — everything is his servant. Is he not a great King] 2. A great king must have great jyoiver. It is often so — (it was so when the great 122 THE GREAT KING. [Lect. VI. Frederick the Great. Earthly king weak. Persian king boasted of his one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, — it was so when old Rome boasted that she had one military road over four thousand miles long) — I say it is often so that, the larger a kingdom becomes, the weaker it is. The arms of the king are not long enough to reach it all. His eye cannot see it all. His power cannot control it all ; and so it falls in pieces by its own expansion. The span of the bridge must not be too long, or it falls by its own weight. A tree must not grow too tall, or it is crushed by its own weight. It is said that Frederick of Prussia used to read all his letters — about three bushels — daily, himself. But it wearied and worried him, and his one mind could not do what was best for all under his power. A king sometimes loses a battle for the want of money, or because he has too few soldiers, or because his officers are not suitable. Sometimes a fam- Lect. YI.3 THE Gr.EAT KING. 123 The breakfast table. ine comes and destroys his plans ; sometimes the plague cuts off his army. Sometimes his agents are unfaithful or indolent. He has to depend upon others. He cannot create men, nor food, nor can he make the thunder and the lightning fall on his enemies. Not so with God. Pie well knows, that if food should be cut off for one fortnight, all that live would be dead, and every creature that moves would be dead, and the earth would be turned into one mighty graveyard. You awoke this morn- ing, and came to your breakfast table, spread with good, wholesome food. The wheat in your bread was created on the prairie of the West. The fish on your plate was created in a river in Greenland. The tea that you drank was reared at the foot of the hill in the interior of China. The salt came from the ocean's bed, evaporated at the West India Island by the sun. The butter was the grass of our hills turned 124 THE GRP:AT king. [Lkct. vi. How many to be fed ! Different creatures hungry. into that delicious substance, and the sugar ill your cup came from the cane that grew beyond the Mississippi. All this was provided and created by God for one meal, — for one person. But remember that one thousand mil- lions of hungry people awoke this morning, and had to be fed. If all these people could be made to sit down together, they would fill five tables, both sides, running round the earth at her widest place ! And these tables are to be spread with food two or three times every day, and from week to week, from year to year, and from age to age ! Then all the animals, and the fowls of heaven, and the iish of the sea, are thus to be daily fed; and God must take the clods of the earth and the clouds of heaven, and create it all, and have it within the reach of all. The old, worn-out man must have somebody provided to take care of him. So must the helpless babe. So must the young Lect. VI.] THE GREAT KING. 125 A tree and its leaves. bird, and so must the worm in the dark ground. The food must be created, and all must be guided to it. God does not give his creatures checks upon banks that may fail, or drafts upon men which may not be paid, nor call upon men, who may not want to hear; but he creates for all. He asks no aid, because he does not need any. Other kings may have pride and take on them airs ; but they cannot create one drop of water, hang one flower on its stem, make one kernel of wheat, nor one leaf that grows in the forest, seven millions of which have been counted hanging on a single tree ! But God is everywhere, creating his empire, upholding it, feeding it, clothing it, and pro- viding for it. And this kingdom all cries to him. He hears the young raven and under- stands his language. And so does he the scream of the eagle, the call of the sea-bird, the chirp of the squirrel, the mute language of the fish, and the hum of the insect. 126 THE GREAT KING. [Lect. VI One world ! Third mark of greatness. Then think that this world is but one of the smallest that hangs in the outskirts of his dominion, like a single little leaf that hangs over your garden fence, and that what he is do- ing here, he is doing in all worlds, in all places, so that all other kingdoms seem like the toys of the nursery, through all his vast dominions, and say, Is he not a great King 1 " Surely^'' says the Psalmist, " God is a great God, and a great King, high above all the earth! What jjower is lih'e unto his j)Oiver ? and tvho among the sons of the mightg can he likened unto the Lord ? " 3. A hing, to he great, must have great wisdom to manage his kingdom. When our cold winter sets in, we notice the wild geese coming from the north, and in a straight line, which they follow day and niofht, eroino: to the far south for the winter. In the spring they wing their way back again. Lect. VI.] THE GREAT KING. 127 The bee and the squirrel. They have no map of their travels, they find no guide-board on the way, they make no inqui- ries. Without compass or chart, they move on. It is God who guides them, by an instinct^ as we call it, which is true, and never errs. So he governs all his creatures which have not reason. They are all guided by it to find their food, and to rear their young, and to protect their lives. He governs men, not by instinct, but by two higher gifts, — reason and conscience. The bee provides for the winter, she knows not why. The squirrel feels avari- cious, and lays up for the winter, though he knows not why. But men know that the winter will come, and so they lay up fuel and hay, and things which will be needed. They know they will be old and feeble hereafter, and so they lay up for that time. They are guided in all this by their reason. But there is another power with which God governs men, — far more won- derful. I mean the conscience. 128 THE GKEAT KING. [Lect. VI. The echo of the lake. Far up among our forests there are little lakes, each a few miles long, with here and there a wooded island in it, and a long line of sandy shore, while all around the lake, the high, wood-covered mountains rise up, as if set to guard the beautiful sheet of water. All around, the forests shoot up, and stand in silence. Just as the sun goes dow^n, he brushes the tops of the trees and the heads of these mountains with his warm tints, and pours down from the reflect- ing sky a light so soft and mellow that the lake looks like molten gold. You shoot out in your little boat, and the silence is so deep, and the waters so still, that you are almost afraid to dip your paddle in the lake. It seems as if every mountain and tree was watching you, and the very fish leap up to see what you are doing. Then it is that you raise your voice, loud or low, and there comes back an echo, if possible more distinct than your words. Every tone and Lect. VI.] THE GREAT KING. 129 Echoes of conscience. The commandments echoed. inflection is returned, and the very woods and mountains imitate your voice. You startle at the clear, loud echoes. So it is, — I have often thought while listening thus, — so it is with the human conscience ! God speaks and says, " Thou shalt not ! " and the conscience echoes it back. Everything that he commands or forbids finds an echo in the conscience. The voice from him is answered by the voice within us. The echo is clear and full, so that when he speaks, it is going against our conscience to disobey. The mountains can no more return me different words, as I sit in the little boat and speak, than the conscience can differ from what God commands. And is not this a mark of great wisdom] Saul, a young man of Tarsus, per- secuted the disciples of Christ, but it was like an ox kicking against a sharp goad, that hurt him the more ; and thus God governs by con- science. The great king Xerxes once gathered 130 THE GREAT KING. [Lect. ^a. Xerxes the king. No mistakes. an army of a million of men, with which to conquer ; but he had not wisdom enough to carry the plan through, and so his army was shivered and destroyed. Bonaparte once gath- ered an army of four hundred thousand young men, and thought that, with all his skill and wisdom and experience, he could conquer Rus- sia ; but alas ! it was all a mistake, and of all that multitude who followed him, but a few ever returned. He had not wisdom enough to carry out the plan ! But God, the great king, never makes a mistake. He never turns back dis- appointed He never has to alter or mend his plans. The wisdom which the wisest man has, which all men have, and which all angels have, comes from him. If, to bring about his plans, he sometimes takes a path that seems strange to us, it is because his eye sees further than ours, and he walks in a path which we cannot trace. He who buries the seed in the Lect. VI.] THE GREAT KING. 131 The tree on the island. Fourth mark of greatness. ground in order to create the harvest, who wraps the worm up in the leaf in order to keep it through the long, cold winter, who leads his own Son to the high throne of heaven through suffering and shame, who leads his disciples up to his Master through the dark grave, that the light of heaven may be more beautiful, — He is wise of heart ! On the leaf that hangs on the topmost bough of the tree that stands alone on the little island, with the wide ocean rolling around it, there creeps a little insect. It has no voice that you could hear. Its feet are too small for you to see. And God has that little creature as much under his safe care, as if it was the only living thing that He has to plan for in all his vast dominions ! 4. A king^ to he greats must rule an old king' dom. A great tree must be a great while in grow- ing. A great building must be a great while 9 132 THE GREAT KING. [Lect. VI. God's kingdom old. in going up. So must a great ship. No king, however wise or skilful, could make a nation or create a kingdom. It takes many genera- tions of men, and ages of time, to do it. When a king comes to his throne, if he be called great, he must find all things prepared, — the palace, the treasury, the officers, the army, the roads and bridges made, the cities built, the factories in operation, the farms cultivated, and the multitude of people all there. The older the kingdom is, usually, it is the richer, and the stronger. Wars have not been able to ruin it, revolutions have not destroyed it, time hath not brought it to decay. Now the kingdom of God is older than all others. Before there were any foundations of the earth laid, before a single star was hung in the heavens, before a single sun was lighted up, the kingdom of God began. The morning stars sang before his throne, before a single Lect. VI.] THE GREAT KING. 133 The old rocks. God's kingdom always new. thing lived or moved in this lower world. There are old walls and towers and temples, crumbling and in ruins, built by men ages ago, we know not by whom ; but the kingdom of God is older than these. There are rocks so old that they look as if they were made in eternity ; but they are not old compared with God. Taking out a thousand years from his reign, is like taking a single drop from the great ocean. And when the hills and the mountains shall crumble down, grain by grain, till they are level with the plain, and when the sea is worn out by its motion and dashing against the shore, and when the heavens have grown old like a curtain, and the sun and the moon and the stars have no more light to give, when every grave shall be dug, and every coffin made, and the universe all come to an end, then, the kingdom of God will be in its full strength, his armies of angels and saints all 134 THE GREAT KING. [Lect. YI. First inference. Gold lost. before him, and the bright crown of his do- minion on his head for ever, — " the Messed and only Potentate^ the King of kings^ and Lord of lords, ivho only hath immortality, dwelling in light which no man can approach unto, which no man hath seen or can see, to whom he honor and power everlasting.'' We see by the light of this subject, that, if God be a great king, then, — 1. He will always take care of good people. It is for the sake of his own people that he made all things, and keeps all things alive ; for them he governs all things ; and they can never be cast down, so that he cannot lift them up ; never be so feeble, that he cannot make them strong ; never so far off, that he cannot find them ; never so distressed, that he cannot relieve them. A piece of gold may be carried to the ends of the earth ; it may be lost in dirt of the street ; it may be brought up from the bottom of the Lect. VI.] THE GREAT KING. 135 The dying saint. sea; but it is gold wherever it may be. It has the stamp of the die on it. So the people of God have his image and superscription on them, and the «:reat Kins: will take care of them. It may be the babe laid in the ark of bulrushes on the banks of the river ; it may be the prophet seated in the chariot of fire ; it may be Daniel among hungry lions in the den ; it may be his children in the fiery furnace ; — but he will take care of them. And when the saint comes to die, when the face becomes dis- torted, and the cheeks sunken, and the chin dropped, and the eye glazed, and the shudder of death passing over the countenance, O then, he says, he will not forsake them ! " Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his saints." What a song they sing ! — " Though I walk through the valley and shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Thy rod and thy staff they shall comfort me." 136 THE GREAT KING. [Lect. VI. Second inference. Fault-finding. If God be a great king, then we ought to expect, — 2c That there 2viU he much m his governmeiit that ive cannot understand. Suppose the councillors of a nation were assembled, and trying to devise the wisest plans for the good of the kingdom ; should a boy stand without and throw stones at the house, because he could not understand their plans'? Should a new soldier refuse to do his duty, because he could not understand why his gen- eral did this or that \ Should the small insect, that hangs in the air on his wings, find fault with the man who is building a great ship, because he could not understand all about it] No. Nor do we want to say that, because the wheels of God's government are sometimes high and dreadful, and because he drives his chariot where we could not, therefore we may com- plain, because we cannot understand it all! Lect. VI.] THE GREAT KING. 137 David's troubles and song. Who can contend with Him ? His deep wisdom is moving where we cannot follow. His great power is going where we may not tread. The great plans of the great King are high above our thoughts, as the heav- ens are higher than the earth. It seems as if I could see David, as he went up the Mount of Olivet weeping ! His councillor turned against him, his own son a traitor, his people turned away from him, the city in danger of being burned, his own life every moment in danger, Shimei cursing him, and everything looking dark and fearful ! Hear him put con- fidence in the great King ! " The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice ! the floods lift up their waves ! but the Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea; the Lord sitteth upon the flood, yea, the Lord sitteth king for ever ! " And how will all come to nothing, who try to contend with this great King ! 138 THE GREAT KING. [Lect. VL A scene in the Alps. The mountain-slide. As the traveller passes over one of the beau- tiful lakes of Switzerland, his eye falls upon a streak of ruin which hangs like a scarf upon the shoulders of one of the mighty Alps. It looks small to the eye, though close by, but it is really larger than the ground occupied by all the city of Paris. It is about three miles wide and five long. Years ago the rains were heavy and soaked into the mountain, and a loud, crack- ing: noise was first heard. Then the tall forests that covered the mountain began to nod and reel, and the birds to fly screaming away. Then the rocks began to roll, and the whole side of the mountain began to tremble, and then to slide, — thousands of acres with all their forests began to slide, and then to rush and thunder, mingled with the crash of trees and the echo among the mountains, as all came rushing down, filling the air with dust, so that nothing could be seen, and causing the earth to tremble as if Lect. VI.] THE GREAT KING. 139 The niin. her very foundations were giving way ! In five minutes it was all done! Nearly a million of property, one hundred and eleven houses, more than two hundred barns, and more than four hundred and fifty human beings, and whole herds of cattle, were swept away, and buried several hundred feet beneath the mass ! Three whole villages were blotted out for ever! No trace remained save a single bell that was carried from the church a long distance. The little lake at the foot of the mountain received a part of the descending mass, which caused the wa- ters to rise and sweep over an island seventy feet above the level of the lake, carrying all to ruin ! To this hour you can see where *' ^lountains have fallen, Leaving a gap in the clouds, and with the shock Kocking their Alpine brethren ; filling up The ripe, green valleys with destruction's splinters Damming the rivers with a sudden dash, Which crushed the waters into mist, and made Their fountains find another channel." 140 THE GREAT KING. [Lect. VI. Child and feather. O, had a little child with a feather in his hand stood there and seen this ruin coming, could he, by stretching out his little arm, have stopped it '? Could he have turned it backl Yes, a thou- sand times easier than all created men could turn back or hinder God from doing what he thinks best to do or have done ! "I am a great King, saith the Lord of Hosts." LECTURE VII. THE BROKEN STAFF MENDED. And it came to pass, Sfc. — Luke vii. 11 — 16. Contents. — Poisonous valley. Looking into the valley. Young men's party. The dying man rescued. Remembrances. We dying. Tlie morn- ing light. Walled towns. Christ travelling. The funeral. The mother's thoughts. The stranger's voice. The dead with no coffin. The staff mended! Rivers of ice. The Alpenstock. The awful fall in the chasm. Glaciers in the night. A night scene. The twinkling light. The lost friend. Further unfoldings. Ingratitude. The child restored. Master of the grave. The dead brought back. A hard question. Reason first, for this miracle. For after ages. Reason second, for this miracle. The buried babe. Who are comforted? The funeral at sea. The sad crew of the ship. The burial. The ocean-grave. The dead to awake. The resurrection. Reason third, for this miracle. Spiritual teachings. Why Christ left the earth. The great design of Christ. The people's shout. The shout of all his family ! They tell us that there is a poisonous valley which has been visited by many travellers. It is small, and is surrounded by hills. As you look off from these hills, you see a level, circular basin, that looks smooth and fair, — 144 THE BROKEN STAFF MENDED. [Lect. Vfl. Poisonous valley. Looking into the valley. Young men's party. except there is not a living tree or bush, not a wayside iio\yer, nor even a single green spire of grass to be seen. There is no wind in it, nor a living^ thing: that moves. All over it lie the bleachino: bones of the dead. The bones of the huge elephant and of the strong lion, of the timid hare and of the fleet deer, lie scattered around, while here and there lie the bones of some traveller who went into it in his igno- rance, and there found his grave. Nothing that ever goes down there comes up again ! Now suppose that on the brow of one of these surrounding hills were gathered a com- pany of young men. They gaze, silent and awe-struck, into the valley. While they look, a cry of terror bursts from them, for just at the foot of the rock on which they stand, they see a poor traveller writhing in distress and just gasping for breath ! He is too far gone to shout or utter another cry for help. In an instant, one Lect. VII.] THE BROKEN STAFF MENDED. 145 The dying man rescueil. Kemembrances. of the young men slips the end of a cord which he has in his hand over the point of a rock and slides down on the rope to the perishing stran- ger. He has just time enough to tie the rope round the dying man, and to beckon his com- rades to pull him up, before he himself falls by the poisonous air. They draw up the half-dead stranger and save him, but their companion and friend is down there dying ! No one can go to hhn ! Xo one can save him ! He must die and be left there to bleach with the dead ! And they now find, too, that the man whom they have saved was the bitter enemy of their friend. And their friend knew it, too, and knew it when he put the rope round him, instead of his own body, after he got to him ! How they now speak of the nobleness, the generosity, and the goodness of their friend ! How that man who was his enemy feels, to think that he ever should have hated such a character ! 146 THE BROKEN STAFF MENDED. [Lect. VIL We dying. The morning liglit. All, children ! you and I were in that poison- ous valley, and we were dying and unable to help ourselves, and He came and looked, and there was none to save, and Tie wondered that there was none to help ! He died that we might live. He " tasted death for every man." " While we were enemies, Christ died for us." O, if it were not that we have seen it so long and so often, how beautiful would be the light of the clear summer morning ! If we had not seen it so often, how charming would be the bush hanging loaded with roses ! If w^e had not heard the account so often, we should weep and exult at the story of Jesus Christ and his dying for men ! He had to descend even into the grave, in order to bring us up out of the poi- soned valley, and before he could ascend above all heaven. The story from which we take our text this afternoon is a wonderful one. In the days Lkct. VIL] the broken STAFF MENDED. 147 Walled towns. Christ travelling. when Christ was on earth they had no cannon or powder, or such terrible weapons of war as we now have ; but they fought with swords and spears for the most part. Hence almost any kind of wall built up round a town would be a defence. These walled towns were full of people, and out of them they crept in the morn- ing, and went off to till the ground or to watch their cattle. No leper was permitted to live in such a town, and no dead were allowed to be buried within the walls. Our Saviour had one day been preaching to a great multitude, and working miracles, when he set out to enter one of these walled towns. A great multitude of people followed him. Some went, because they wanted to hear him preach again ; some, because they wanted to see him do some great miracle ; some, because they wanted to know why he went into that walled town ; and some followed him because others did. Just before 148 THE BROKEN STAFF MENDED. [Lect. VII. The funeral. The mother's thoughts. they reach the gates of the town, they meet a funeral. It is a large funeral, though there is only one mourner. It is the mother of the dead, — a poor widow, — who has lost her only son, the staff of her age. It is towards evening, the hour of the day when they usually bury their dead. Christ looks weary, for it is sup- posed that he has walked about twelve miles to- day. When the two processions meet, they both stop. The w^eeping mother follows the bier. She is just thinking over how her son looked, how his voice used to sound, how he was dutiful and kind to her ! She is recalling: his childhood, and the many hopes she had had concerning him. She is thinking how lonely her home will now be, how little she has to live for, how gladly she would die with him. She is closely veiled, and sees nothing but the dust on which she treads. She wonders why they have stopped. But the stopping will keep the dust Lkct. VII.] THE BROKEN STAFF MENDED. 149 The stranger's voice. The dead Avith no cofRn. of her child with her just so much longer ! How she weeps ! What makes her start so at the voice of a stranger, who kindly says, " Weep not " 1 What makes her thrill at the sound ] She never heard that voice before ! She never heard such notes before ! She draws aside her veil, and there stands before her One, fairer than the sons of men ! She trembles, and is ready to fall down at his feet, though she hardly knows why. By a mysterious power, all are hushed and silent. In those countries they do not have coffins as we do. They place the corpse on a kind of bier, with a covering over it made of cloth, with a light frame, so that the dead man seems lying under a sort of canopy, with the narrow curtain at the head lifted up to show his pale face. He is wrapped in white linen, completely covered, except the face. That mysterious stranger looks in upon the face of the dead, with one hand resting on 10 150 THE BROKEN STAFF MENDED. [Lect. VII. The staff mended ! Rivers of ice. the bier. How hushed are all the multitude ! The silence is such that the rustling of the high palm-leaf might be heard. Now he speaks: " Young man, I say unto thee, arise ! " How quick the warm blood rushes through his veins ! How quick his cheek flushes ! How quick his pulse beats, — his bosom heaves ! And now he sits up and speaks to his mother ! How grace- fully the Saviour takes him by the hand, and delivers him to his mother ! Her staff that was broken is restored to her ! Her child is brought back from the dead ! O, it is so like a dream that the mother cannot speak ! Her amazement is so great, that she cannot fall down at his feet. She sees nothing but her boy, who was lost and is found, who was dead and is alive again ! It was like being brought back from death to life herself Among the great Alps — awful beyond what any one can imagine — there are huge rivers of Lect. VII.] THE BROKEN STAFF MENDED. 151 The Alpenstock. ice ! solid ice, that come creeping down between the high peaks, sometimes two miles wide, and very deep ! They are all ice, but they crowd and grind so hard against the mountains that they break up into cakes, which lie side by side, like pieces of slate standing on their edges. Between these great cakes of ice, are openings, called crevices, down which you can look far, and down which, as you throw a stone, you hear it roll and bound and thunder a long, long while, before it reaches the bottom. Sometimes it would take a rope more than an eighth of a mile long to reach the bottom! In crossing over these glaciers, as they are called, you have to get a guide, and also to have a long, smooth staff, with a sharp iron in one end of it, to stick into the ice. This is called an Alpenstock, i. e. mountain-staff. In a certain place, one of these frozen rivers comes down between two awful peaks, one called the Peak of the Tempests, 152 THE BROKEN STAFF MENDED. [Lect. VH. The awful fall in the chasm. and the other the Peak of Terror. Some years ago a clergyman was on this glacier with his guide. As he came to a round opening, — the crevice, — he leaned on his Alpenstock, and bent over to look down the awful chasm. Sudden as thought, his staff broke, and down, down he went, out of sight in an instant ! His name was Mouron. After twelve days' labor, they let down a guide with a lantern tied round his neck, at the peril of his life. Twice they drew liim up to breathe, nearly exhausted. The third time he found the mangled and bruised body, seven hundred feet from the top of the glacier where he fell in, and he was drawn up with the dead man in his arms. Sometimes the people of the Alps have to cross these glaciers in the night, or else freeze to death. A single slip of the foot, or a single false step, is certain death. When they cross in the night, they have the Alpenstock and the lantern. Lect. VII.] THE BROKEN STAFF MENDED. 153 Glaciers in the night. A night scene. Now imagine that you were on the brink of one of these glaciers in the night. You are alone^ and you must cross it and find a shelter or you perish. The winds howl, and the great avalanches of ice thunder and echo among these awful solitudes, and the storm-notes come boom- ing up from far below. You cautiously creep along on the edge of the ice-cake, and see an awful chasm running along, one on each side of your narrow path. As you thrust down the sharp point of your staff into the ice, you move very slowly. And now you have got out a mile into the middle of the glacier, and just as you have got between two fearful open- ings, your staff breaks and is useless, and that moment a gust of wind, fierce as a tiger, puts out your light ! Ah, now what will you do ] To move back- ward or forward is certain destruction ! To stop there is to be frozen as solid as the ice beneath 154 THE BROKEN STAFF MENDED. [Lect. VIL The twinkling light. The lost friend. your feet ! What will you do "? You shout, and the swelling winds carry your voice away, and it is lost in the storm. Just then you see, on the far-off land, a little twinkling light. In a few minutes more you would have given up and sunk down into the opening ice, where you would never be heard of again, till the resurrection morning. But now the light seems to creep nearer and nearer to you. It comes up, and a man stands close to you, — only that deep chasm is between you and him. He hangs the little lantern on the end of his Alpenstock, and reaches it to you. You take it off very carefully. He then reaches again to give you the needed staff. You seize it eagerly, and give it a jerk, and by that jerk he loses his balance, falls in, and down, down he falls, and lies bleeding and mangled far down under the deep ice ! Yoii had no time to ask his name or learn who he was. You only know that he perilled Lect. VII.] THE BROKEN STAFF MENDED. 155 Further unfoldings. Ingratitude, and lost his life for you ! With that staff and that lantern you reach the land, find a dwelling, and are saved. Ah, yes ! and you learn that the man who thus lost his life for you was one who knew you w^ould be lost unless he went to you, and who expected it would cost him his life, and the one whom, of all men in the world, you had treated the most unkindly, and who had reason to despise you and hate you, and to be willing to have you perish in the dark, cold night, under the deep, awful glacier ! And now suppose that after this you are never heard to speak of the kindness of that man, never to mention how you were delivered, never to think over your unkindness to him, and his nobleness and kindness in forgetting it all and coming to save you ! — is this being grateful? So was it wdth us when God gave us a lamp to our feet, — his holy word ; and a staff to lean upon, — the beautiful promises of the Bible! 156 THE BROKEN STAFF MENDED. [Lect. VIL The child restored. :Master of the grave. The poor widow who was told to dry her tears, and who had her son restored to her, was only one among our race to whom Christ hath done good. She was only one to whom he brought a staff in the place of the one that was broken, and a lantern in the place of the one that sin had put out ! This was not the first child that had been raised from the dead to life. Elijah raised one, — the child of a poor widow who fed him in the famine ; and Elisha raised one, — the son of the woman who was so kind to him ; but how differently they did it ! They knelt long in prayer ; they lay down upon the child in both cases ; they prayed God to do it. They had no power to do it themselves. They could not speak, and cause the dead to hear and awake. They were not masters of the grave, and had not the keys of death and of hell ; they were mere servants. But when Christ the Son came, Lect. VII.] THE BROKEN STAFF MENDED. 157 The dead brouglit back. he did whatsoever the Father did. " lie spake, and it was done" ; "he commanded, and it stood fast " ; he opened, and no man shut ; and so he had not to stop to pray ; but in his own name, and by his own power, he awaked the dead ! Do we suppose that the young man, thus brought back from the dead, could remember what he saw in the world of spirits'? If he had gone to the world of the blessed, and could remember what he saw, how would he dread to come back ! If he had gone to the world of the lost, what horror would have been painted on his face ! No, we suppose that in mercy a veil was drawn over the spirit-world, and he only felt that he had been in a deep sleep, from which he awaked at the voice of Jesus ! You may wonder why Christ does not meet every funeral and raise the dead, and especially why he does not always remember the poor 158 THE BROKEN STAFF MENDED. [Lect. VU. A hard question. Reason first, for this miracle. widow who mourns the loss of an only son. Why should this widow of Nain be selected to receive this mercy, while thousands of such weeping mothers have followed an only son to the grave, and heard no voice saying, " Young man, I say unto thee, arise!" And this leads me to speak of the reasons that led Christ to per- form this wonderful act. It was not altogether for the sake of that mother, though he had, we arc told, compassion on her. But it was done, — 1. To show all men that ever read the stortf^ that Christ is good. He wants men to trust their lives and their children and their friends and their souls to him ; but they cannot and will not do this, unless they believe that he is good. We cannot love or trust one who is not good. We do not want a bad man to come into our families ; we do not want to commit our children, and all Lect. VII.] THE BROKEN STAFF MENDED. 159 For after ages. Reason second, for this miracle. that we have, to a bad man. But Christ knew that many a dying mother would want to com- mit her helpless babes to him, and the dying father would w^ant to leave his family with him, and the poor sinner would want to look to him for mercy, and w^e all should want to make him our Saviour, and so he took that occasion to show that he remembers the mourner in her tears, and pities the sorrows of his creatures. It is not because he does not know or regard the tears of the mourner, at every funeral, that he does not turn back the tide of their grief by bringing back and restoring the dead. 2. Christ raised this young man to llfe^ to show that he can raise all the dead. Does it seem, when we bury the old, worn- out man, who for a long time could hardly see or hear or walk, and who has now become as cold and as insensible as the grave in which we lay him, — does it seem as if there w^as any 160 THE BEOKEN STAFF MENDED. [Lect. VIL The buried babe. Who are comforted ? power that can bring him up from that grave alive, and restore him again to youth and vigor, activity and health ] Does it seem as if there was any arm that could lift up that poor dead woman from the dust of death, and restore to her the grace and the beauty of youth ] And that little babe that we bury ! His dust will soon be mingled with that of the earth, and not a particle even of his coffin will remain, — can he be found, and that little body be restored to life again ] Hear what age says, when it is looking for death : " I know that my EOC V- Date Due Princeton Theological Seminary-Speer Library 1 1012 01040 5944 "^■i^iiiiiil ;>^'SSS^^S