Part 5

1. "Our Father." Here introduce a tall _white_ candle. Let this stand for the words "Our Father." Highest and tallest of them all. "The Higher Light." God is light. The Light of the World and the ages. Have this light burning before the meeting opens. Don't light it as a part of the exercise. This light never had a beginning. How dark this world would be if this light should grow dim or go out! But God is _Our Father_ and he has promised he will never leave us alone, and in this prayer we are told to ask him for the things we need. A little chap was busy with his lessons, and they proved so hard for him to study that the tears began to flow down his little cheeks. His father noticed this and came over and sat by his side and helped him through with the hard part of the lesson. The father said, "Now crying did not help you, my son, did it?" The little fellow replied, "No, it did not help me, but it brought to my side some one who did." Prayer brings to our side "Our Father in heaven," and he can and will help us.

2. "Who art in heaven." For this sentence secure a _blue_ candle which reminds us of the blue heavens above us. God is beyond the blue, but by his light is everywhere, and from his throne in heaven is ever watching us. My own dear mother was a little old-fashioned mother, and from her window watched her children play in the backyard. Her watchful eye was ever on us, and if some wild boy of the street jumped over the fence and annoyed us, Mother saw him first, and came down-stairs into the yard, and the bad boy soon disappeared. My little brothers and myself were always glad for mother's watchful eye from the upper window. So our Father looks down from his window in heaven, and we are safe and happy because Father is looking down upon us.

3. "Hallowed be thy name." For this sentence secure a _green_ candle. Green is the most enduring of colors. The cedar and pine are green all the year. Winter and summer it shows forth its green just the same. Green is the everlasting color. The name of God is the name "Everlasting." It will endure forever; so long as this old earth shall stand his name will be spoken, and by human hearts be supremely loved. When this world has passed away in the life of the ages his name will also be the highest and best of all. In this prayer we are taught to reverence this eternal name. This is the only part of the prayer where God seems to be thinking about himself, and asks his followers to protect and revere his name. A little girl, one night, closed her little prayer by saying, "and please, dear God, take good care of yourself." She was thinking of God, so this prayer wants us to think of his name and keep it holy.

4. "Thy kingdom come." These words are represented by a _purple_ candle. Purple is the royal color. The robes of the king are in purple. The decorations of the throne are all in this majestic color. Purple is the kingdom color. May God hasten the coming of the Royal Purple Day. You can help God to answer this prayer by trying to bring in his kingdom. Whenever you help one another, and are kind to each other, whenever you are truthful and faithful to God, whenever you let your light shine, then you are helping God to bring in his kingdom.

5. "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." This sentence can be represented by a _brown_ candle representing the color of the earth, the brown ground of the world. If so desired, another blue candle may be introduced to represent, as in a former instance, the blue of the heavens. It would be best, if possible, to get a candlestick holding two candles to represent this truth. This should be done so the two blue candles may not be confused one with the other. The truth of God's will being done on earth as perfectly as in heaven is the cardinal truth of this sentence. A little boy who wanted to go out to the park with his mother, noticed it had begun to rain, and soon it was raining very hard. He turned to his mother and said, "Do you suppose God wanted it to rain?" His mother replied, "God knew best, and so sent the rain." The little boy replied, "I think it would be safe to let him have his own way." I think the little fellow was right. God knows best. His will must be done.

6. "Give us this day our daily bread." Represent these words by a _yellow_ candle, yellow standing for the color of the golden grain from which we make our bread. This is a prayer for physical needs. The Greek word for bread means "food," so this is a prayer for all our temporal needs to sustain this present body, which is the present home of the soul. God wants to feed the world. He likes to give because he loves us. God also gave us the spiritual bread, the bread of life, which is his Son, and so supplies all our spiritual needs. Trust God, live simply, work honestly, and verily thou shalt be fed; so pray daily, "Give us this day our daily bread."

7. "Forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors." This sentence is represented by a _silver_ candle, which is the color of the coin by which we pay our debts. This is a hard prayer for some of us to say, when we remember how some evil people have hurt us. This prayer tells us to forgive, because that is what God does when people by their wicked deeds hurt him. Put down the number 490, and as you look at it, what do you think it means? It contains a commandment of Jesus. This is just what Jesus means by that figure. It tells us how many times we are to forgive one another. He says we are to forgive seventy times seven. That gives us the figure 490. This prayer teaches us to forgive our enemy four hundred and ninety times, and by that time God will soften the heart of our foe, and he will no longer be an enemy.

8. "Lead us not into temptation." Here we introduce a _red_ candle, red standing for sin, into which temptation, if we yield to it, is sure to lead us. In this prayer we are to pray to be delivered from sin. We must all have some kind of temptation, God had one Son without sin, but he never had a Son without temptation. He says, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried he shall receive a crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him." So temptation resisted is blessed. How can we resist temptation? By going to God in prayer. When tempted pray the prayer of Jesus, "Bring us not into temptation," as a revised edition of this prayer puts it. You can resist temptation by keeping on God's side of the fence. An old minister said to a little boy who was trying to serve God, and he a Christian: "When tempted, my boy, kneel down and pray for God's help, but never climb over the fence into the devil's grounds, and then kneel down and pray for God's help. Pray from God's side of the fence." That was good advice. Do not run into temptation, never go on the devil's side of the fence.

9. "But deliver us from evil." The _black_ candle is produced which represents the dark deeds from which we pray that we may be delivered. Black deeds are dead black, because the wages of sin is death. Keep the black out of our life. Evil thoughts are seeds from which black fruits of sin are raised. Think white thoughts, that will make our lives right, and we will not do evil things.

10. "For thine is the kingdom." Produce another double candlestick, holding first a _purple_ candle standing for the words, "Thine is the kingdom," and a _white_ candle representing the great white throne, the seat of God's power, God has power to do all the things we ask of him in this prayer. We have asked the Father Allpowerful to help us. He can, and he will. History tells us of Hudson, the navigator, who was exploring in the arctic regions when his crew mutinied, and they put him and his son, and one or two sailors into a little boat, and left them to drift on the cold northern waters until death came and released them from all their hardships. The boat was found, months later, floating among the icebergs of the frozen Arctic Ocean. The father was in an upright position, as if steering the boat, with his little son between his knees, both frozen to death. You could see, by the tightened hand, how he had grasped the handle of the rudder, and by the terrible stare in his frozen eyes, what a determined man he was, but his face was full of despair and woe. He had not been able to save his son. Our Father has power to save all that come unto him, and power to keep them until the end.

11. "And the glory forever and ever." This sentence is represented by the _orange_ candle. The _orange_ color stands for the glory of God, as it is the dominant color in the glorious sunset from which shines forth the glory of God. The great painters of the Middle Ages represented the flame in the "burning bush" as being orange in color, which in their day was understood to stand for Jehovah. This last sentence is like a great doxology sung at the close of the prayer. It is like a grand organ chanting a loud "Amen." And now here we have the truth of the Lord's Prayer shining. No prayer is so full of divine radium as The Lord's Prayer. It is composed of sixty-six words, but this congress of words contains might and glory that have never before appeared in so many words. These sixty-six words are Holy Chapel Bells which call the world to prayer.

=19

HOW GOD COVERS MY SINS

OBJECTS: Two Large Prepared Cards=

How to get rid of our sin! This has been the question of the ages. The answer can be given in a second. "They must be taken away." Jesus, the Sin-bearer, must take them away if they are to be taken away to stay.

When the Standard Oil Company was trying to refine petroleum there was a substance they could not dispose of. It was black and sticky. They could not burn it, it would not burn; it made a mighty stench. They could not run it into the river, because it would kill the fish. So they offered a big reward to any chemist who could solve the problem.

Chemists took it and worked day and night on the problem. One day, a chemist walked into the office of John D. Rockefeller and laid down a pure white substance which we now know as paraffin.

Your heart is like that black substance. You cannot make it white, but Jesus can make is as white as snow. Look and listen. I will show you the good news. Prepare a piece of cardboard twelve inches square, have on it the outline of a heart with a big black dot in the center of it, and write over and under it "My Sins."

Hold this up before the audience as a gospel X-ray photograph of the heart. Sin is an affair of the heart. It is a bad heart condition. The gospel offers the only cure. It comes down from heaven, Jesus brought it with him and gave it to the world.

Prepare also another card of the same size containing the words, "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin."

One night Martin Luther had a dream, and he thought he saw himself standing before the judgment-bar. Looking into the open book he saw opposite his name a fearful lot of sins. Some were sins of commission, others sins of omission. Some were deliberate sins, others sins of thoughtlessness.

Satan, standing at his side, said: "Behold your record [Hold up the heart]. There is no hope for you." But just then he saw to his great joy, written above the crimson stain, the words, "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin." Now place the second card over the first, and the sins have all disappeared, and are under the blood forever. This is the way to take away sin, so it is taken away forever.

In old Scotland, in the lake district, they tell a quaint little story about a lonely little pool of water on the mountainside of Lock Lomond called the Fairy Loch. If you look into it you will see a great many colors on the surface of the water due to the varied nature of the minerals which form the bottom. There is a legend which says that fairies used to dye things from these waters for the people.

One day a shepherd brought a black sheep to the Fairy Loch and asked the fairies to dye it white. This the fairies could not do. They could dye white any color, but not the black. This was an impossibility, so in their despair they threw all their colors into the Loch at one time. This gives the Loch the colorful appearance now. No fairy or any human power can change the black of sin into the white of righteousness.

The pool of life is full of these fancy colors that declare that they have the power to change black to white, but they are only bubbles on the surface. Don't trust them. This is a matter for eternity. God alone can change black into white. The blood of Jesus Christ takes all sin away.

=20

WHAT THE FLAG SIGNALS SAY

OBJECTS: Four Plain Flags of Different Colors=

Flags have a language. They talk to men when they are employed as signals. The standard signals of the railroad system send forth most important messages. Let us see what they teach on the Railroad of Life.

Prepare four common bunting or muslin flags, mount them on a plain flagstaff about the size of those used by the flagman at the railroad crossing.

First Flag. A red flag. This signifies danger, and when displayed it means "Stop." As you wave it, ask the little folks what things that cross our path need to be stopped. Help them by naming them first. Profane words should be stopped. The commandment which says, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain" is a red flag that God waved out from Mount Sinai. Flag profane words which means, "Stop, don't swear."

Rev. Doctor Scudder, the celebrated missionary to India, on his return passage, while standing on the deck of the steamer with his son, heard some one using profane language. "My friend," said the doctor, "this boy, my son, was brought up in a heathen country, but in all his life he never heard a man blaspheme his Maker until now." A man reporting this event said what a shame it was that a heathen had a cleaner lip than a Christian. He was wrong. The true Christian never takes the name of his Maker in vain. He always flags that word. He throws out the red flag of danger.

Stealing needs the red flag also. Boys and girls are often tempted to take that which does not belong to them. It may be a pencil from the school desk next to them. Whatever it may be it is stealing. God flung out the red flag from Mount Sinai when he said, "Thou shalt not steal."

A boy was arrested in Buffalo recently for the theft of a bar of gold from a jewelry firm of New York City. The gold was worth $1,500. When asked why he had taken it, the boy said, "I was tired of working for almost nothing, and thought I could go out West and lay the foundation of a fortune with this."

What a foundation that would have been, a foundation made of a broken commandment of God. There are many people thus building today. They steal from the poor, giving scant measure to the tradesman, and stealing the good name of their companions. This is a bad foundation to build on. Flag the act of stealing.

Second Flag. A yellow flag. This stands for Caution. It means "Go slow, be careful." There are a great many things in life that may be harmless in themselves, but must be handled with care. Fire is a very useful thing. It prepares our food, and gives us comfortable heat for our homes, but we must handle fire with care, lest it break away from us and bring destruction to us all. So there are many acts we must watch, because if we do not heed the Yellow Flag of Caution it will bring great trouble into the world. We should always plant the yellow flag in the center of our amusements. Amusements, when they are pure and good, are right for us all. There is no harm in clean pleasures. God wants us to enjoy them, because we shall have pleasure forevermore in heaven, but here below evil pleasures are so mixed with the good that we must use the yellow flag of caution. Ask the children to name other things in which we must use caution, by reminding them that all doubtful things belong to this class. The yellow flag of caution should always fly over things we are not sure about.

Third Flag. A blue flag. This flag is called the "working flag." When it is displayed on the track, it means the trackmen are working there. Often they are repairing the road, or working on a wreck. The blue flag, therefore, stands for work. God plants this flag in our path every hour. Boys and girls with bright eyes see this flag flying, and start and get busy. There is an office boy in Chicago of whom his employer is justly proud. He likes to tell how he came to take him on. Busy at his desk one morning, he looked up to see a little fellow waiting, cap in hand, to speak to him. He went on with his work and in about three minutes the boy spoke to him. "Excuse me, but I am in a hurry." "Oh, you are, well what are you in a hurry about?" "Got to be in a hurry. Left school day before yesterday to go to work, and haven't struck a job yet. If you don't want me, say so, and I'll look somewhere else. I can't waste any time. The only place where I stay long is where they pay me." "When can you come to work?" asked the surprised merchant. "I'm here now," said the boy, "and I'd have been to work five minutes ago, if you had said so."

This lad saw the blue flag hanging from the window of the merchant's office, and he walked right in and reported for service at once. Over the gateway of the Lord's vineyard this blue flag is flying today. Jesus put it there, and on it is written in letters of gold, "Son, go work today in my vineyard." Let us walk in, and be as anxious to work for God as the lad was for the merchant. If we have an anxious heart and want to work with all our heart, we will see the blue flag flying everywhere. Lift up your eyes, and behold the world waving with blue flags.

Fourth Flag. A green flag. This signifies "Go ahead, road clear." The church flies the green flag. Walk in. It is the gate to the road that has been made clear for you. Walk in. Walk in, the flag is green.

The green flag is waving from the foot of the Cross. All is clear from that point to go. Go straight ahead. Ride over obstacles in the road. Keep going, and you will find God with your pardon all prepared for you and ready for your taking. He will also dispatch a guard of angels to go with you who will bear the green flag. They know the way of God; follow them and the green flag.

At last, my dear reader, when the sunset comes and the day of mortal life is ending, and you are looking out over the sea of eternity, may you see the green flag flying there. Then you will know "All is clear--go ahead."

It may give a good setting to this lesson if you should ask a boy or girl to come to the platform, and hold the flags as you present them one by one. Hold a grand review of the four flags and ask questions as to their meaning. This will help you to plant these flags in the hall of memory of old and young.

=21

THE DEVIL'S GOAT

OBJECTS: A Number of Wooden Blocks and a Piece of Stove Coal=

It is good and proper to have real friends; friends that play straight and stick to the end. Evil companions are Satan's road-agents to hold us up, and rob us of the best we have. It is easy to sin with the crowd.

Sin masses men together until they think they are strong and often declare themselves right because "They all do it." This is a hard lesson to learn, and few there are who learn it early in life. A daughter asked her father's permission one day to visit a gay young friend of the world. Her father said, "I cannot allow it." Then she replied, "Then you must think me uncommonly weak." The father picked up a piece of coal [you do likewise] from the hearth and handed it to his daughter, but she hesitated to accept it. "Take it, my child," said he, "it will not burn you." The daughter obeyed, and the milky whiteness of her hand had instantly gone. The father said, "We must be careful how we handle coal, if it doesn't burn it may blacken."

No boy or girl can spend an hour with an evil companion and be one with them without coming away with a stain inside. If we continue with them, it is a direct route, fast express line, to fall with them. To illustrate this fact, set up the blocks endwise in a straight line a short distance apart. Knock down the first block, and all the others will fall with it. Now raise the last block, and see if they will all rise with it. But no, if once down they must all be raised one by one. How easy it is to fall with a crowd, but when we want to return we must come back one by one. Don't walk in the sinner's way or stand in the way of the transgressor, for together they will all fall into the pit.

Be on your guard. Don't handle the black coal of evil companionship. If it does not burn, it will soil.

One day a minister of the gospel was sitting in the office of a superintendent of a large abattoir, when a large goat came in and rubbed his head against the superintendent, "What is the meaning of that?" asked the minister. He replied, "Large flocks of sheep are often delivered to the slaughter-houses, and in order to get them easily into the place of death, Judas, the goat, is always on hand, and never fails to trot and lead them to the gate which leads to the gangway that takes them to the slaughter."

Beware of the Devil's Goats. They are working overtime. Walk in the narrow path and with the Good Shepherd. He slays the devouring beast seeking to destroy the sheep bearing his name. Don't tramp with sinners; stand alone. Stand alone in God's strength, and you stand forever.

Now take one of the blocks, stand it up endways; put a Bible on each side of it, and you will notice it is too far away from the other blocks to be hurt by them, and so stands securely, and can never be overthrown.

=22

SHINING TRUTH

OBJECTS: An Assortment of Candles Teaching a Number of Lessons=

In this chapter you will find a few brief candle-light lessons which you can use when you wish to give a series of short talks of seven minutes. They can be arranged into one whole sermon if so desired. It is a cluster of shining truth candles, arrange them as you like.

=THE TEN COMMANDMENTS=

Arrange ten candles in a straight line. Select blue candles, because they are called "Blue Laws," but show that the light is white because it is night, and they have been shedding light for the whole dark world.

The universal laws of the nations are taken from these great legal lights. They are God's lights, because they came from God, and if the world ever extinguishes them the world will be lost in hopeless darkness forever. Produce two yellow candles which stand for the two commandments Christ gave which contain the truth of all the Ten Commandments. This is how the blue laws turn to gold.

=THE HIDDEN LIGHT=

Produce a candle from a box in the corner. This represents a hidden light which does not shine even "in its own corner." It is a light hidden under a bushel. Many a soul has fine powers to serve the world for Jesus, but they are hidden in the dark box of disuse, and are worthless in the black world. They have buried the talent. Take it out of the box, light it, and place it on top of the box, and say, "Henceforth thou shalt be as a city set on a hill whose business it is just to shine."

=THE VANITY FAIR CIRCLE=

Arrange a semicircle of a number of highly ornamented candles. Name them Mr. Fine Clothes, Miss Fine Feather, Mrs. Good Opinion, Miss Show Off, etc. This is an exclusive circle, some of the noted 400 giving a little pink tea. Now bring in a plain white candle and say: "After all, this white candle shines forth as brightly as any one of them. It makes no noise, says nothing about itself, but just goes on and shines. It is not the clothes which make the light of life shine the brighter."

=EXAMPLE CANDLES=