With the Children on Sunday Part 24

THE PHONOGRAPH.

BOOKS THAT TALK.

SUGGESTION:--Object: A small tin box, with a cover and bottom removed. Over one end draw and tie a piece of parchment, or even of strong manilla paper, in the center of the miniature drum-head thus formed fasten a thin string, and you will then have a rude but real telephone and a good representation also of the phonograph.

LAST Sunday I talked to you about the great Judgment Day and tried to ill.u.s.trate to your minds what is said in Revelation, twentieth chapter, twelfth verse, where it says, "The dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." I tried then to make plain how G.o.d pictures or photographs all our acts upon the rays of light, and how we see the objects about us when the rays of light fall upon the retina of the eye. I tried to show you how every ray of light carries a photograph or picture, and that these rays of light are sweeping out into s.p.a.ce at the rate of 192,000 miles per second, and that if you and I could be present where these rays, carrying the picture of the battle of Bunker Hill are now hurrying through s.p.a.ce, you could see the battle, as if it were taking place at present. If you had a camera with you, you could actually take a photograph of it, the same as you could have done had you been on the hills outside of Boston on the day when this great battle was being fought.

But that is only one book; G.o.d has other books also. But you know you can not photograph what a person says. So I want to try and show you how our words and all we say also go into a great book and write themselves down, so as to become permanent for all time.

Now, I have here a baking-powder box, from which I have removed the ends, and in place of the tin have covered it with a stout piece of paper which I have tried to draw very smoothly. With two such boxes, connected by a string, we could make a telephone so that we could talk together a short distance. Or with only one box we could construct a very rude but yet very suggestive phonograph.

Let me tell you how it is that you can hear over the telephone, whether made of a simple box and string like this, or with a wire and electric battery, for in one respect they are both alike.

If you will place your finger gently on your throat, against what is sometimes called "Adam's Apple," but what is really the delicate little instrument with which we speak, and then utter some words in a strong, clear voice, you will doubtless feel a vibration or trembling in your throat, just the same as I now feel in my throat while I am talking. My effort to speak causes these little chords in my throat to vibrate, just the same as when you pa.s.s your fingers over the chords of a harp or violin, or when you strike the keys of a piano you make the wires tremble and thus produce sound, so these chords in my throat tremble and cause the air to tremble, producing what we call sound-waves. Just the same as when you take a stone and drop it into the lake, you see the little waves or ripples, as we call them, go out in small circles, wider and wider, further and further, until they strike the distant sh.o.r.e. So the air is made to vibrate by my effort to speak, and these little sound-waves in the air strike against the drum of your ear, back of which there are nerves, ever ready to convey to the brain the sensation which we call sound,

[Ill.u.s.tration: "The Little Waves or Ripples."]

"Like clear circles widening round Upon a clear blue river, Orb after orb, the wondrous sound Is echoed on forever."

Now, this small baking-powder box represents the ear, and the paper at this end represents the drum of the ear, and this string represents the nerves. This string may be prolonged for a considerable distance, and if you were to connect the end of the string with another box of the same sort you would then have a telephone with which you would be able to hear quite plainly the words which are spoken by some other person at the opposite end of the string. When I speak into this box it makes the paper tremble, and that makes the string tremble, and if there were another box at the far end of the line it would cause the paper on the end of that box to tremble just the same, and that would cause the air to tremble where that box is, and if you were to hold your ear to that box you would be able to hear the words.

If I take this box, and instead of a string I should place the point of a needle back of it, and a cylinder to revolve, so that the needle would scratch the vibrations upon the cylinder, I would then have a phonograph. I would then be able to record the words, and with another smooth needle to go into the scratches which had been made by the sharp needle, I would be able to reproduce the sound; or, in other words, to make the cylinder talk back again to me the words which I had spoken into the tin box and recorded upon the cylinder.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Phonograph Cylinder.]

Just as light carries the photograph or picture, so the air carries the sound of our words and other vibrations of the atmosphere which we call sound. Thus you see the light is one book and the air is another, and G.o.d doubtless has many other forms of making and keeping the record of our actions and words--yes, even of our thoughts, and in the great Judgment Day these words which we utter will say themselves over again in our ears. If you uttered any bad or wicked words yesterday or to-day, or shall do so tomorrow, remember you will have to give an account of them in the great Day of Judgment.

But there is another thing connected with our uttering of bad words, as well as the fact that we must give an account of them. Bad words are connected with bad thoughts, and so every bad word which we utter indicates the character of our thoughts and has a bad influence upon our minds and hearts.

Not only do these words record themselves upon the atmosphere, but they also record themselves in a lasting--yes, in an eternal influence upon the hearts and the minds and the lives of those who hear them. Just the same as the words which are spoken into a phonograph are recorded and can be repeated over and over many times, so the bad words and the wicked thoughts which are expressed into the ears of others make an indelible record upon their thoughts and hearts, and are oftentimes repeated to others, thus multiplying the record, and at last all these records will appear against us in the great Day of Judgment. How careful you and I should be to speak only good words and to think only good thoughts.

QUESTIONS.--Has G.o.d other record books beside the one of deeds? What does one of the other books record? What is a telephone? What is a phonograph?

What happens to the air when our words strike it?

What are these air-vibrations called? What does the air do with sound? What two things may be used as G.o.d's recording books? Must all bad words be accounted for? What do bad words indicate? Upon what instrument can words also be recorded? Are all words like those which are recorded by a phonograph? Why? (Permanent). Will G.o.d hold these records against us on the Judgment Day?

MAGNET AND NEEDLE.

G.o.d'S GUIDING HAND.

SUGGESTION:--Objects used: A magnet, a piece of paper and an ordinary sewing needle. In the ill.u.s.tration lay the needle flat against the paper directly under the magnet. The ordinary magnet, purchased for a few cents in a toy store, will answer the purpose.

MY DEAR LITTLE MEN AND WOMEN: The Bible everywhere teaches us that G.o.d is the Supreme Ruler of the universe. Not only has He created the vast system of worlds about us, but He directs each in its...o...b..t. He rules over the destinies of nations, and although wicked men plot and plan, yet over and above them all G.o.d is ruling, and He makes even the wrath of men to praise Him.

When you are older and can make a careful study of the Book of Daniel, which is in the Old Testament, and then read the history of the world in the light of the teachings of that Book, you will see how G.o.d used the five great empires of the earth to prepare the world for the coming of the Messiah, and how since the time of Christ He has used the other nations to prepare the world for the full acceptance of the truth and the final triumph of righteousness.

But G.o.d not only governs in the affairs of nations, He also governs and directs in the life of each individual. He not only gives us being and preserves our lives and health, but He has redeemed us from sin and death by the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ; and if we are willing, He will guide us in all the affairs of life. Nothing is too minute nor too insignificant to receive His thought and attention, and not even the sorrow of a child over a broken toy escapes His notice or fails to touch His loving heart.

But many people are not able to understand, and seem also unwilling to accept anything that they cannot see, or comprehend with one of their five senses. I have therefore brought this magnet, this piece of paper, and this needle, such as women use when they sew, in order to show you how G.o.d can guide us by His unseen hand.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Magnet and Needle.]

When I lift this needle with my fingers and then let go of it you will notice how it drops immediately to the floor. Now, when I lift this magnet in the same way, and then let go of it, it will also drop in the same manner. But now I am going to hold this magnet up, and bring the needle close to the magnet. Now when I let loose of the needle with my fingers you see how it is held by the magnet. The gravity, or, as we would say, the weight of the needle, which would cause it to fall to the floor, is overcome by some greater or stronger power which is in the magnet. Now, you cannot perceive that power with any of your senses; you can neither hear it, smell it, taste it nor feel it. You can see the effect of that power, but the power itself you cannot see. In like manner, also, there are powers and influences all about us which we cannot perceive with any of our senses, but which are constantly exercising their influence upon us and upon things about us.

But now, by the use of this paper, I desire to show you something additional. I am going to place the magnet above the paper, and the needle below the paper, and show you that even through the paper this influence or power which holds the needle exerts itself. You will see now that when I lay the needle lengthwise against the paper, with the magnet upon the opposite side, that the needle is held up against this paper and does not fall, as it would if the magnet were removed. You will notice also that, as I move this magnet from place to place, the needle on the lower side of the paper follows the magnet. In this simple little experiment you are able to see the magnet, but suppose for a moment that this paper were increased in size until it was as large as the ceiling of this entire room. You will understand that then the magnet and any person moving the magnet might be entirely out of sight, and as the magnet would be moved from place to place on the upper side of the paper, entirely out of view, the needle on the lower side, which could be easily seen, would move from place to place, following the magnet.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Paper no Hindrance.]

This little experiment ill.u.s.trates to us _not how_ G.o.d guides us, but it will show us that there are powers unknown and unseen by us which can hold and guide even insensible metal. How much more easily, then, can G.o.d sustain and guide our thoughts, our purposes, our steps and our lives.

We are free moral agents. G.o.d has left us free to resist His power and His grace, and to live in defiance of all that He has commanded us, and of all that He desires us to do. But if we are willing to be led by His Spirit, and to walk in His way, G.o.d is willing to guide us, if we will come to Him and ask Him for the Holy Spirit to lead us in the way in which He would have us to walk.

There are many who do resist G.o.d's will and purpose, and live in open defiance of all His teachings, and of all that G.o.d would have them to do. I take it for granted, however, that there are no such people here, but that you all desire to live in such a way as to secure your greatest happiness and your greatest good upon this earth, and your eternal happiness and blessedness in the world to come.

In closing this little sermon, I therefore desire to impress upon your minds the fact that you and I are without experience in many of the most trying and most important events which come to us in life. We are constantly liable to be mistaken. We cannot see ahead of us, and do not always know what is for our own good. G.o.d knows all things, the future as well as the past. He cannot be mistaken and must therefore know beyond the possibility of error what will be for our good. G.o.d not only knows what will be for our good but He desires our good, therefore we should let Him guide us.

Now, the question might arise in your minds, how does G.o.d guide us? He guides us by the teachings of His Word. He has told us in the Bible how we ought to live, what is for our present and eternal good. If we desire financial prosperity, or physical blessings, or mental quickness, or spiritual peace, we will find in the teachings of G.o.d's Word how to obtain them.

G.o.d also guides us by the exercise of our consciences, and therefore it is always important that you and I should do what conscience tells us to be right. First of all we should study G.o.d's Word, in order that we may have an enlightened conscience, and then we should always follow conscience.

G.o.d also guides us by the Holy Spirit, and it is our duty to come to Him daily and ask Him for the presence and power of the Holy Ghost to guide us through each day, and to bring us at last to Heaven above.

Now, I trust you will all be able to enter heartily into the prayer which we are going to sing, for when we sing thoughtfully we will find that many hymns contain pet.i.tions as well as praise, and this is one of the kind which partakes largely of the nature of pet.i.tion. Let us all sing the hymn,

"Guide me, O, Thou great Jehovah."

QUESTIONS.--Who is the Supreme Ruler of the Universe? Who governs the life of every person?

Does any little thing escape His notice? Are some people unwilling to believe what they cannot see?

Can we see, hear, smell, or feel the power in the magnet? Why do we believe it is there? Are there influences around us like the power in the magnet?

Can they all be seen? Will the paper between the magnet and the needle destroy the attracting power of the magnet? Who are like the needle? Like whom is the magnet? Does He guide us? Can we see Him?

Are we free to do as we choose? When will G.o.d lead us? Do some people defy G.o.d? Do we always know what is best for us, or what to do when in trouble? Who does know? By what three means does G.o.d guide us?

[Ill.u.s.tration]

FISH IN AQUARIUM.

THE ALL-SEEING EYE OF G.o.d.

SUGGESTION:--Object: A small aquarium with a few small fishes.