[Ill.u.s.tration: A Crown of Leaves.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: A Jewelled Crown.]
First of all, I have here a crown which is made of leaves. This was the first kind of crown ever used. Three thousand years ago or more, those who excelled in strength, or running, or wrestling, or in any of the games which were common then, received a crown like this, which was placed upon their heads. This was regarded as a very great honor.
Afterward, the kings of the earth began to use crowns. Their crowns were made of gold and set with costly jewels. These they wore on state occasions to indicate their high rank and position. Here is a crown made of gilt paper and set with a few silver-paper stars, meant to represent the crowns which kings and queens wear. While this crown is only made of paper, the crowns of kings and queens are made of gold, set with many costly stones. Besides the larger jewels in the crown of King George V.
of England, there are also sixteen sapphires, eleven emeralds, nearly three hundred pearls, and some twenty-eight hundred very costly diamonds, and it is estimated to be worth many millions of dollars.
[Ill.u.s.tration: The Crowns on a Table.]
Now suppose that we had gathered into this room the children, the boys and girls, of all the kings and queens of earth. Suppose also that they could all understand English, and that none of them knew that they were the sons and daughters of kings and queens, and that it was my delightful privilege to tell them how great and rich and powerful their parents are; and then I were also permitted to tell them, for the first time, what beautiful crowns their parents own. Suppose also that after exciting their curiosity about these things, I should have the crowns of all the kings of earth placed on a long table at my side, covered with a beautiful cloth, and after telling them about the crowns, I should uncover this table with all these crowns of gold, studded with jewels.
Don"t you suppose that the eyes of all those boys and girls would sparkle with curiosity and delight?
But now, suppose that it were my privilege to do more than to show them the crowns. Suppose that I were permitted also to tell them that they were heirs to these crowns, and that after their fathers and mothers, the present kings and queens, had died, they were to become kings and queens, and were to receive these crowns as their own. Suppose that, more than this, it were my privilege to pick up the crown of Denmark, and then calling some little boy to me I were to hand it to him, and tell him that he was to keep it, and that some day it would be placed upon his head, and he would be King of Denmark. And then I should take the crown of Sweden, and calling another girl, I should give her that crown, and tell her that she should keep it, until some day it would be placed upon her head, and she should be Queen of Sweden. Suppose that in the same way I should take the crowns of Germany and Russia, and Austria, and Italy, and Spain, and the great crown of England, and all the crowns of all the nations of the earth; and calling the boys and girls by name, should have them come forward and receive these crowns, to be kept until they should be placed upon their heads, when they should be Kings and Queens, ruling in great pomp, and splendor, and honor, and power. Do you not think that it would be a very happy hour to these boys and girls, when all these great thoughts should be disclosed to them for the first time, and they should look upon such costly crowns, and receive them into their own hands, as their very own?
Now, boys and girls, while you have been listening to me, you have possibly not thought that what I have told you is really being fulfilled in your own hearing to-day, for the Bible tells us, "I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (2 Cor. vi: 18.) Then, in another place, it also says, "Beloved, now are we the sons of G.o.d, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be." (1 John iii: 2.) So you see that it is my privilege to-day to talk, not to the children of earthly kings, whose glory is only temporal and whose honor is always uncertain, but I am permitted to talk to the children of the King of kings. (1 Tim. vi: 15; Rev. xix: 16.) The Scriptures not only tell us that G.o.d "is the only Potentate (the only powerful one), the King of kings," but it also tells us that He "hath made us unto our G.o.d kings and priests." (Rev. v: 10.) The same great book also tells us, not only, that we shall be kings and priests unto our G.o.d, but that we "shall reign forever and ever." (Rev. xxii: 5.) When a king dies he ceases to be king upon earth, but when G.o.d shall make us kings and queens and crown us in Heaven, we shall never die again, or cease to be kings and queens. The Bible tells us very clearly that our Father in Heaven is King over all earthly kings; greater than any of them; greater than all the kings of earth put together; a million times greater; yes, millions and millions of times greater; so much greater that the two do not compare in reality, but earthly kings simply suggest to our minds something of our great Heavenly King. G.o.d, this great King, created us and we were His children. But our first parents sinned and rebelled against Him, and refused to recognize Him as Father and to obey what He wanted them to do. But G.o.d loved them and us as a tender Father, and sent His only-begotten and well-beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to reconcile us; to tell us that G.o.d the Father loved us; that He was willing to forgive us, and that He would still accept us and make us kings and priests unto Himself, would crown us with glory, would give us dominion and make us kings and priests forever in Heaven. So you see that there can be no mistake about our being sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty. We are not only His children, but He has promised us crowns of glory and thrones of dominion and power.
If you and I were in England to-day and could walk into the Tower of London, where they keep the crown and the jewels of the royal family, and we could learn the value of these costly jewels, and crowns and scepters, it matters not how rich we might be, I am sure we would have to despair of ever being able to purchase these costly crown jewels.
They are estimated at many millions of dollars. Now, if an earthly crown, which can only be retained for a few years, is so valuable, how much more valuable are the everlasting crowns, such as G.o.d gives, and which are to be ours for all eternity? And if we are not able to buy such an earthly crown, how much less are we able to purchase or buy a heavenly crown? The heavenly crowns are so valuable that we could never hope to buy them, therefore G.o.d gives them to us because He loves us.
More than two hundred years ago a man by the name of Colonel Blood attempted to steal the crowns and the crown jewels of England. He was not altogether successful, but was arrested before he escaped with them.
But do you know that there are many who would steal your crown, and my crown of everlasting glory, if they possibly could? Therefore, G.o.d tells us in the Bible, "Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." (Rev. iii: 11.) So you see it is very important that we should be constantly on our guard. The King of England has soldiers to watch day and night, lest any one should steal his crown. And so also you and I need to be constantly on our guard, lest wicked people and sinful influences should rob us of our heavenly crown.
Not only are crowns sometimes stolen, but sometimes they are also lost.
About fifty years ago some people were digging in France, and they found eight costly crowns, all lying close together, having been lost or hidden away in the earth. Four of them were very costly and very beautiful, while the others were smaller crowns. The first four were for the king and the queen, and the prince, and one other of the older children, and the other four crowns were for the younger children of the king"s household. Yet you see that the father and mother and all the children lost their crowns. I trust that no parents here, or children either, would prize their heavenly crowns so lightly as ever to lose them.
There are thousands of people who would be willing to put forth any effort, or to pay any costs, if they could only obtain an earthly crown, and yet the Bible tells us that these people do it "to obtain a corruptible crown; but we, an incorruptible." (1 Cor. ix: 25.) Now, by a corruptible crown is meant one that, like this crown made of leaves, will fade and fall to pieces, and decay, and thus pa.s.s entirely away.
Even a crown of gold, studded with costly jewels, would thus also eventually perish. The crown which G.o.d gives to us is an imperishable crown, which never fades, and never pa.s.ses away. And therefore the Scriptures say, "And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." (1 Peter v: 4.)
Since the Bible teaches us these truths so plainly, "What manner of persons ought we to be, in all holy conversation and G.o.dliness?" (2 Peter iii: 11.) What more appropriate words could I say to you in closing, than that which G.o.d says to us in the blessed Book in which He has revealed all these things, "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent, that ye may be found of him in peace without spot, and blameless." (2 Peter iii: 14.)
QUESTIONS.--What kind of crown was first worn?
Because crowns of leaves were so perishable, of what were crowns later made? What can you tell about the crown of the king of England? If the crowns of all the kings of earth could be brought together, would people desire to see them? If the children of earthly kings were present and we told them for the first time that they were the children of kings and gave them the crowns which they were eventually to own, would they be likely to be pleased? Are you the child of a King who is the King above all kings? Has He promised you a crown? Will your crown be perishable? How long will it last? Can you quote any of the pa.s.sages of Scripture which tell of our being the children of the King of kings? Could the crown of an earthly king be bought? Is there money enough in the world to buy a crown of everlasting life? How then is this crown to be obtained? Who once stole a crown and the crown jewels of England? Was he successful in getting away with them? Who tries to steal our crown of everlasting glory? Is he ever successful?
Can you tell about the eight crowns which were found hidden away in the earth in France? In what book are we told that our crown is to be imperishable and unfading, and to be ours forever?
What exhortation is contained in the last sentence of the last sermon in this book?
THE END.
A WORD TO PARENTS
[Ill.u.s.tration]
THE imploring letters which come to me constantly from all parts of the globe, written by young men and women who are almost hopelessly struggling to be freed from evils into which they have fallen through ignorance, prompt me to urge upon parents the great importance of safe-guarding their children from evils unspeakable by information which should always reach the child through the parent.
Many parents appreciate their duty to their children in this matter; the only thing that restrains them is that they do not know what to say and how to say it. They are in just the situation that I found myself with my own boy and girl before I had made a special study of this subject.
It was to a.s.sist parents in this trying situation that I wrote "What a Young Boy Ought to Know," and that Dr. Mary Wood-Allen wrote "What a Young Girl Ought to Know." These two books, together with "What a Young Man Ought to Know" and "What a Young Woman Ought to Know," have proven a benediction to thousands of parents, and have saved mult.i.tudes of boys and girls; of young men and young women from evils that come from blind blundering among dangers that are attended with consequences that often project themselves throughout the entire life, and frequently involve even future generations.
These books were written to make men and women--not money. The United States Government has had the books to men placed in the libraries of all the battleships, and those addressed to boys and girls and young men and young women placed in all the schools maintained by the Government for the education of the North American Indians.
Requests have been made for permission to translate these books into some forty different languages, and most of these requests have come from Christian missionaries and church missionary societies, who have desired the teachings which these books contain for use by their missionaries.
These books, in English, sell at One Dollar per copy, and a simple post card request addressed to the writer of the little book you now hold in your hands, will bring you descriptive printed matter by early post.
SYLVa.n.u.s STALL, 206 North Fifteenth Street, Philadelphia, Pa., U. S. A.
WITH THE CHILDREN ON SUNDAYS
Through Eye-Gate and Ear-Gate Into the City of Child Soul
_By_ SYLVa.n.u.s STALL, D. D.
_ENTHUSIASTICALLY COMMENDED BY THE PRESS_
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"These sermons cannot help being suggestive to every one who would interest children. The sermons are fascinating, and their publication marks an era in the instruction and edification of children. They will serve a n.o.ble purpose in calling back to the simplicity of preaching so wonderfully ill.u.s.trated in the words of Christ."--_Wesleyan Methodist._
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