Suggestion:—Objects: A yard-stick, pocket-rule, tape-measure and any measure or scales convenient. Use the measures and scales for measuring the height and weight of the different children, and explain to them that if they continue to grow, they will eventually become full grown men and women. So God measures them to-day in moral things, and if they will learn what God requires and be obedient to their parents, they will increase in moral stature as well. MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS: I am sure you will be able to tell me what these are which I hold in my hand. This you would call a yard-stick; the other, because it folds, you would call a pocket-rule, and here is another, which you would call a tape-measure. Now, if I were going to measure any of you, to tell how tall you are, I would use one or the other of these rules; as each is divided into even inches, I could use any of these three I should prefer. I would say one boy is four feet two inches, another four It is necessary to have standards of weights and measures. This is absolutely necessary, or we could not tell in purchasing cloth or lumber, in buying sugar or molasses, or other things, whether we are getting the right quantity, or whether we are not getting the right quantity. So, everywhere you go in the United States we have the same size or standard of weights and measures, and the Government appoints men in each city to go about and examine whether the scales which the storekeeper uses for weighing sugar, and the measures which he uses when he sells vinegar and molasses—whether these are perfectly accurate, as the law requires. Scales and Measure. But, if you look on the other side of this tape-measure, there is a different standard of measure. This, on the reverse side, is the I have spoken of these things simply to call your attention to the fact that God has a standard of measure, and a standard of value, as well as men. When the Government enlists soldiers into the army every man is measured, and he must be of a given height; if he is not as tall as the requirement, then he is rejected. When Napoleon chose his body-guard the men all had to be exceedingly tall. God also has His standard of measure. He does not measure us according to the height of our body, but according to our moral character. He measures us to see whether we are good or bad. God's standard of the measure of our moral character is found in the Bible. You will find it, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. In the Old Testament we have the Ten Commandments, in which we are required to worship God, and to worship nothing else; to keep the Sabbath day holy; to honor our parents; and various other requirements. In the New Testament we have a great many principles for moral government which Jesus announced when He was upon the earth. We have all broken some one or more of the Ten Commandments and the precepts which Jesus left for us to follow. If you The moral law is a perfect law; the Psalmist says, "the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul." I showed you how in France they have a different standard of measure from that which we have in the United States, but with the moral law the standard is the same everywhere and at all times. It is wrong to lie or steal in America, and it is equally wrong to lie or steal in France, or in Africa, or in India, or on the islands of the sea, or anywhere in all of the universe. If it is wicked now to swear, or to commit murder it always was wicked. It was just as wicked three thousand years ago as it is to-day, and it never will be right to take the name of God in vain, or to destroy human life. God has but one standard of morality for all people and for all time. What God requires of the young in order that they may be pure and holy, He requires also of grown-up people. If it is wrong for the preacher and the Sunday-school superintendent to go to the theatre, or to do anything else, it is equally wrong for every member of the church and for every member of the Sunday-school. Before God we must all be measured by the same standard of morality. If I had one year ago measured the height of each of you and written it down, and then measured you again to-day, I would find that during these twelve months each of you had grown. You are taller to-day than you were a year ago. Now, God has given us a standard of moral character, right and wrong, and I want you all to study it very carefully, so that you may see how tall you are, May God bless you abundantly, and may you grow daily "unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." (Eph. iv: 13.) Questions.—How many kinds of measures can you name? Are the standards of weights and measures the same in all countries? How many standards of measure does God have? Where can God's standard of measure be found? Are God's standards the same for all persons in all countries, in all parts of the world? Is there any place in the world where it would be right to lie or steal, or murder? Who was the only perfect man? Does God's standard ever change? Should we constantly strive to become like Christ? How can we tell what progress we are making in becoming more like Christ? Girl lying down to read |