Read Ebook: The Bible object book by Woolston C H Clarence Herbert Rodeheaver Homer A Homer Alvan Author Of Introduction Etc

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There is another great Tree of Knowledge which we call the great Bible. The leaves of this tree have long been healing the nations. Every leaf has a healing word in it. As you say this hold up the Bible with the other hand and read what some of the leaves say. Read John 3:14 and 16. These words on the leaves of the Bible have healed the millions. They have been and are for the healing of the nations also, and thus a countless number have received the eternal Health of Salvation and are now in heaven, well forevermore.

I remember my mother often told me a Civil War story which to my little head was a wonder story. She said that once in this war a soldier's life was spared because the enemy's bullet embedded itself in the leaves of a New Testament he carried in his pocket. So the leaves of the Bible saved his mortal life. Often the smaller birds fly into the leaves of the trees for safety when the larger wild bird seeks their life.

God's word is a mighty fortress and a shelter from the storm. Its leaves of truth cover us and surround us, like a great wall of chariots and armed horsemen, so we are safe forevermore.

If you have a cluster of leaves put a tag on each containing a verse of Scripture which speaks of God's saving power. Pin these leaves with their tags up on some background and explain that there are the leaves from the Tree of the Bible, with sure healing in them for the nations of the world.

WHAT THE BIBLE IS LIKE

In this chapter we think together as to what the Bible is like, and produce the object referred to.

We confine our thoughts to what the Bible says it is likened unto.

This is a dark world, it is under the power of darkness. It is controlled by the "rulers of darkness" . Unless it is enlightened by the Bible lamp it will go to its own place, "the blackness of darkness forever" . "God so loved the world, that he gave us his Lamp that whosoever should follow the Light, might not perish, but have everlasting life." Like the golden candlestick it shines upon divine things near at hand, and like the pillar of fire it lights up the way through the wilderness journey. All other lamps will go out, but this light shines more and more to the perfect day.

Harken, ye children of men, listen, ye people of all nations, "The entrance of thy word giveth light."

An ordinary looking-glass can be used here if it is put in an upright position.

It shows me myself just as I really am, not as I think I am, but as I am. The human heart shrinks from looking at it for it shows the heart as it really is. And yet, to see one's self as it is revealed in the mirror is the first step in the true way back to God.

A missionary to China once read aloud, to a large audience, Romans 1. One of the Chinamen present said he thought it was very unfair and unkind for the "foreign devil" to come to find out all their secret sins and write them down in a book, and read them out in that public way. It is a truth that the Bible is a mirror, "Mine to tell me what I am."

A large silver bowl can be used here and placed in line with the lamp and mirror. The Bible not only shows us our sins as in a mirror, but shows us the way the remedy can be secured. In the old wilderness tabernacle, a laver was provided at the entrance of the tabernacle to give a means of cleansing from the defilement which would oftentimes render the worshiper unfit for God's presence; so a cleansing stream, seen only by the eye of faith, flows through this book. It broke forth from the first promise of the woman's seed and flowed all the way through the Bible until it broke into the trumpet-song of the redeemed in glory. "Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood" . As water cleanses by separating the body from the outward stains, so the Word of God applied by the Holy Spirit causes the heart to abhor the defilement of sin which would stain and defile the inward life. "Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee" ; and Jesus said, "Now are ye clean through the word which I have spoken unto you" .

Here place by the side of the laver a glass or bottle of milk.

This is to teach us that the Bible is so plain and simple that little children can feed on it as they do on milk. Some people declare that the Bible is too profound for children, and that they should seek and read some other simpler book on religion first. But where is the child that can understand human words that does not grasp the stories of many of the Bible records? Noah and the Ark; Daniel in the Lions' Den; The Hebrew Children in the Furnace; the story of the Finding of Moses; Joseph and His Brethren, and the parables and the miracles of Jesus, etc. We are all babes in Christ when first converted, and are exhorted to drink the pure milk of the pure word of God.

Here secure a few small cakes, and explain the bread of the Bible was not like our loaf of bread, but like our cakes. Place them on a plate and put them in line with the other objects. Here we are taught the Bible is food for the soul. Without it we will all perish.

"I have esteemed thy word more than my necessary food" is the confession of the heart that finds the Bible the real bread for the soul.

The prophet said, "Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? harken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness." This is free bread; it is without money and without price. Come to the gospel Free Market and live.

Place now in line with the other symbols a bottle of honey.

This teaches the truth that the word of God is not only to give us our plain, necessary food, but to provide for us God's sweets. An invitation to help ourselves to heaven's luxuries. The Bible is so full of such delights that David cried out, "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth" .

Pour out into a metal plate a small quantity of alcohol and light it with a match. It will burn for a few minutes, at least long enough to bring home the lesson. Fire breaks out and spreads forth, so if we are saved and have the Bible in our hearts, it will break forth into acts, and the world will behold it. And with burning words on our lips we will speak it forth; messages for the dying world to hear.

Secure a large mallet if possible, for this is the form of a Bible hammer; if not possible use an ordinary one. Place this in line with the other objects. Some people's hearts are harder than stone. It takes a strong effort to break their hearts of iron. This is often discouraging work. The hammer does not always work at the first blow. It hits again and again, and if we who swing the hammer of the word are faithful to the end the rock heart will at last break asunder; God's word never fails.

Place an ordinary sword on the table with the other objects. The Bible is a sharp sword, and in the hands of a skilful soldier will often, by quick action, bring down the nature that can avoid the hammer wielded by the workman's hand. It was a quick instrument of light on the day of Pentecost. It reached the heart, and a full surrender was made. Sometimes it falls with a quick, mighty stroke upon those who continue to rebel against its divine authority.

Secure a jar of any kind of seed, and place in line with the other objects.

The Bible declares we are born again of "incorruptible" seed, "by the word of God" . It is our task to go forth and sow this seed. "Behold, a sower went forth to sow" should be said of us every day we leave our homes. We should sow beside all waters. We should sow at all times. "In the morning sow thy seed, and at evening withhold not thy hand," for "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him" .

After you have taught this lesson, cause your audience to repeat with you what the Bible is like.

JUDGING BY APPEARANCES

This is a lesson on the folly of judging by appearances or coming to a conclusion from knowing just one side of the truth, which in the language of the people is called "jumping at conclusions."

Secure ten or twelve paper drinking-cups; cut them all except one into two parts, put the top parts into each other, so that they will look like a pile of cups, but the only real cup is the bottom cup. Say: "Here we seem to have a stack of drinking-cups from which to drink when we are thirsty. Here we seem to have enough cups for a party of ten or twelve but in reality there is only one cup that is a real cup that will hold water."

People who jump at conclusions are in the way of making frequent mistakes and often do great mischief. A woman standing in line before the window of a New England savings-bank, waiting her turn to deposit five dollars, saw a man step up and draw out nine hundred dollars. She was not used to the sight of so much money, and, supposing that this meant a heavy drain on the resources of the bank, held on to her five dollars, and not only that, but went and told her friends about it, saying that the bank must be in danger. The news spread, and soon there was a "run" on the bank. Before the panic was over, and scared depositors satisfied that the bank was sound, between ten thousand and twenty thousand dollars had been withdrawn. Better be sure of facts and not judge by appearances. This "supposing" things makes trouble.

Some time ago a young man in looking around among the people at a public gathering, noticed a tall, heavyset, well-built man, and made up his mind that he was the new minister. He went up to a friend and said: "Very strong, good-looking man, isn't he? I am well pleased and satisfied he will make a very good minister." That man replied to his friend, "Why he is no minister, he is the manager of the new theater." It takes more than a fine-looking man to be a minister. He may only look like one, and be only half a cup.

A gentleman noticed a refined-looking stranger seated opposite to him at the table. He had a magnificent forehead and a fine, venerable, bald head. His eyes were shooting off sparks of expression which seemed to be born of the fires of genius. "Ah," thought he, "if he could but speak, what grand words we would hear! What large utterances would fall from his eloquent lips!" Suddenly the gentleman who possessed the venerable head and a great talent for silence spoke and said, "Hand me them dumplings, them's the jockeys for me." He was wise only in appearance. He was half a cup. There was nothing of eloquence or talent in him. Things are not what they seem to be.

In 1 Samuel 16:7, the Bible teaches us this lesson: "Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him." God saw both sides of the man. What he looked like, and what he really was. "Man looketh on the outward appearance, but God looketh on the heart" . Learn to see things as God sees them, then you will see aright.

A CHILD FOR SALE

Call a little boy to the platform and ask: "What is a child worth? Not long ago in the great city of Philadelphia a little girl was fatally hurt by a trolley-car. The jury awarded a verdict of ,000 for damages. Five thousand dollars was the legal value of a child. Would you sell your little girl for that figure? Is that what your child is worth? Are children for sale in this world of sin and unbelief? This child is for sale, and the world, the flesh, and the devil bid for him. Who bids first for this child?"

A man then walks up to the platform saying, "A business man makes the first offer." Read the card and say: "Mr. A. Cigaret, representing the Smoke and Brownleaf Co., bids for the child. He offers good fellowship, the thrills of the happy smoker, and the name of a jolly good fellow." This card you have prepared before the service, and placed in the hands of one of your assistants who delivers it to you at your call; after he presents the card he takes his seat. In reply to this bid you say: "This bid is rejected. King Tobacco cannot have this boy with the pure life and happy smile. The bid is rejected for the following reasons.

"It is a deadly poison. 'In a cigaret there are five poisons: the oil of nicotine, the oil in the paper, saltpetre to preserve the tobacco, opium to make it mild, and the oil in the flavoring.'

"It leads to insanity. Dr. Forbes Winslow says, 'Cigaret smoking is one of the chief causes of insanity.'

"It is a crime-maker. A New York City magistrate says: 'Yesterday I had before me thirty-five boy prisoners; thirty-three were confirmed cigaret smokers. Tobacco is the boy's easiest and most direct road to whisky.'

"It is the highway to disease. 'Tobacco is the admitted cause of upward of eighty diseases, including blindness, and cancers of the lower lip and tongue, and is credited with killing twenty thousand in our land every year.'

"It is an agent for death. Dr. J. J. Kellog says: 'I had all the nicotine removed from a cigaret and made a solution of it. I injected half of it into a frog, and the frog died almost instantly. The frog was full grown and average size. A boy smoking twenty cigarets in a day inhales enough poison to kill forty frogs.'

"A cigaret smoker is slain before he is dead. Slain to all the good chances for success in life.

"E. H. Harriman, former head of the Union Pacific R. R. System, says, 'We might as well go to the lunatic asylum for our employees as to hire cigaret smokers.'

"The cigaret is a deadly thing. You are seeking the young child's life. Your bid is therefore rejected."

The next bid is brought to the platform by an assistant who hands you the prepared business card marked: "Mr. Pool-room. I will give a jolly evening for years to come in my game-room. There will be a bunch of happy lads there, full of glee, happy all night long. I will give him the thrill of making money easy. Will preserve him from hard work. Will help him drive away dull care."

You reply: "This bid is rejected for the following reasons:

"The poolroom is the place of the gambler's table. It will teach him to get dishonest money, tainted and yellow with sin. He will meet the depraved, and they will be his companions. He will lose the purity of heart God has given him. It will steal the roses from his cheek and paint his face with the lines of dissipation. It will take him from his father and mother, and some day toss him up against the door of the old homestead a human wreck. You cannot have him, Mr. Pool-room. He shall not walk in the sinners' way. I reject your offer."

Another prepared card is brought to the platform with the words: "His Highness, Lord Ignorance. I bid for this lad, and for him I offer an open mind. Let him do his own thinking, live as he pleases. I will not let him go to school or trouble about knowledge. The less he knows the happier he will be. I will just let him do as he pleases. That will be his religion and education."

Then you reply, saying: "Your bid is also rejected. Your card has on it the stain of the blackness of the Dark Ages. You would make merely an animal of my boy, just feed him and turn him loose like a beast. You would bring down on him all the misery of the Dark Ages. You would cover him in a dense cloud of ignorance. You would starve his mind and feed his body, and so make a monster of him. You would lead him astray, and he would not know the deadly thing you were doing. You would put out the eyes of his mind so they could not see God's way. No, you cannot purchase the soul of this lad for such a price. Back, Lord Ignorance, into the Dark Ages; that is where your castle of sin is built. You are a black dragon of shadows and dwell in the shades of blackness. Your bid is therefore rejected."

You then say, "Who will bid for the soul of this boy?" You can have various cards prepared with the words, Mr. Profanity, Mr. Infidelity, Mr. Highwayman, etc. After you have worked it out according to your liking you say, "I am now open for the last bid." A card is sent up with the words "The Church." The bid reads as follows:

"I, the Church of the Lord Jesus, will now bid for the soul of the boy. I will put him into the ranks of the Sunday-school children. He will be in the army of 'the millions.' He will be taught to sing God's praises, and his lips to speak white words. He will be taught the way of the heavenly life from the Bible, God's book of wonders. He will be taught to stand upright in all life's tasks. God will lift him to a high station of life and give him great success, and at last God will take his soul to heaven through his faith in the Lord Jesus."

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