t and best are the things of the
soul, the spiritual ministries and influences of life. They are worship,
communion, faith, hope, prayer and love. No one stands at yonder door
and demands a dollar of you as you enter. The seats in this church are
free to rich and poor, aged and young. These free seats typify the
salvation that is here proclaimed.

MEMORY VERSE, _Isaiah_ 55: 1

"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that
hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price."

MEMORY HYMN [304]

_"I heard the voice of Jesus."_

IN THE DARK

I have here what are commonly known as Chinese lilies. Two weeks ago
they were only two or three inches high. Now they are between two and
three feet. How rapidly they have grown! I How can we account for it? I
can give one reason. It is because they had adequate preparation. The
bulbs from which these lilies grew were kept in the dark for ten days.
There, in the dark, they stored up strength and energy for the work that
was before them.

Many years of our Saviour's life were spent in obscurity. They were
years when, as far as the world is concerned, he was in the dark,
preparing for the great work of his public ministry. My dear young
people, do not be fretful over the days and years you have to go to
school. They are not simply days of waiting, they are days of
preparation.

Again, these lilies come from dark and humble surroundings. Here is a
very plain dish. In the dish are a few ordinary stones; picked up in
our yard. Water is poured upon the stones. Among these stones the lily
bulbs take root. Girls and boys, it does not matter a great deal what
sort of a home you have, if only it is a good home. John Wesley's youth
was hid away in a poor Methodist parsonage. Abraham Lincoln was born and
grew up in the dark and humble surroundings of a log cabin. Our Saviour
himself was born in a manger, and his boyhood home was far from being a
palace. Make the best of what you have and all will be well. God will
take care of you and bring you out of the darkness.

How fragrant these lilies are! Faith, hope, love, patience, strength and
truth, these fragrant qualities of life often grow best in the dark. May
our good Father make your life fragrant is my prayer.

MEMORY VERSE, _Psalm_ 139: 12

"Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as
the day: the darkness and