"THE WORDLESS BOOK"
OBJECTS: A Small Book with Five Colored Pages[1]
Some years ago in one of the mining-towns of central Pennsylvania, a Christian English miner was noticed going to a secluded spot every noon, and holding in his hand a small red book. He seemed to be reading it, and was deeply interested in its contents.
This caused his fellow workmen no little astonishment as the book was so small that he could easily read it through in a few minutes, yet he continued to keep the book before his eyes each noon for many long months. What could he be doing? Was he reading it or just looking at it?
That was the big question they all had in their minds. At last they determined to find out the truth about the book if possible, so one day they approached him with the question: "What makes that little book so interesting to you? It certainly must contain a most wonderful story to engage your attention for so long a time." The man made a courteous reply by saying: "It is a wordless book, and you are quite correct when you say it must contain a wonderful story, for it does record the most wonderful story the world has ever heard; it is the story of salvation." He then showed them the book. It was a book of colors only, not words, It was the Story of Salvation in Colors. He then explained: "The first page is black; that stands for sin. The second page is red; that stands for the blood of Jesus which covers the black. The third page is white; that stands for righteousness. And the last page is yellow; that stands for heaven with its streets of gold. This is the most wonderful story of the world, because it is the Story of Redemption which never grows old, and I never grow tired of thinking about it and seeing it by colors."
Years ago when I was a child I saw a little book just like that. It was published in London, England. When I first began to use object lessons in talking, I made an enlarged copy of it.
Later I got out an improved edition of this book, using one additional color (green) and have put it on the market. It is called the "American Improved Wordless Book."
With but little difficulty you can make one for your own use. This is the way to do it. Secure an ordinary note-book and cover the two open pages with black paper; this stands for sin. Cover the next two open pages with red paper, which will stand for the blood of Christ. Cover the next two pages with pure white paper without the ruled lines on it; this will stand for righteousness. Cover the next two with green paper; this will represent fruitfulness or good works. Cover the last two open pages with yellow; this will stand for heaven, with its sheets of yellow gold. You may make this book as large as you desire, and when you have finished it hold it up before your hearers and open it at the black pages and say, "The black stands for the sinful heart of man."
Read the following Scripture, "By one man sin entered into the world, so death [black crape] passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Rom. 5:12). Quote also John 3:19, "Men love darkness [black] rather than light because their deeds are evil" (black). Romans 6:23 is also a black verse; it reads, "The wages of sin is death" (black). Ezekiel 33:11 is another black verse. It says: "Turn ye, turn ye from your evil [black] ways; for why will ye die?" (Black.)
This is a picture of the heart covered with unforgiven sin, just as Jesus sees it and just as the judgment will show it.
What shall I do to get rid of the black? Look, and I will show you how. Open the next two pages, and they are red; that stands for the blood of Jesus. Now you notice that the black is hidden because it is all under the blood. Read Hebrews 9:22: "Without the shedding of blood [red] there is no remission." Isaiah 53:5-8 tells us: "He was wounded [red] for our transgressions, he was bruised [red] for our iniquities, ...the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity [red] of us all." Also quote 1 John 1:7, "The blood [red] of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin." Make it clear that the only thing that will cover sin so it will stay covered is the blood (red) of Jesus. "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered" (Ps. 32:1).
God's red covering, the blood of Jesus his Son, is the only covering for sin; the Bible has so revealed it. Sometimes we try to cover over our sins with a lie or smooth words, but our sins will not stay covered that way. The Bible says, "Be sure your sin will find you out," which means, Be sure your sins will find their way out also.
I read in a little old story-book years ago this interesting little tale. Three little brothers had been promised by their father that if they planted a certain number of hills with beans they might go to the circus that afternoon, and see the clown and everything. They began early in the morning and worked with great vigor and zeal to finish their task, but just before they got to the last row they heard the circus band playing and saw the horses and elephants passing by in the great street parade of the greatest show on earth. They were sure they would be too late if they finished that row and planted all the beans their father had given them, so the Tempter said to them: "Dig a hole, put all the beans you have left into it, and fill up the hole and roll a big stone over it, and they will be hidden out of sight. Then go and tell your father you have finished your planting, and he will then give you your circus money, and you will thus see all of the show."
They listened to the Tempter, and did as he told them, and reported to their father their work was done, and the father according to his promise sent them to the circus. Some weeks afterward the father was inspecting his garden, and noticed there was an entire row of bean-hills from which no little green blades had yet made their appearance. The father sent for his sons and called their attention to the fact that in every row but the last one the beans had sprouted; he wanted to know if they could explain to him the failure of the last row. The boys assured the father that the seeds had been planted and if he would wait just a little while longer they would come up like the other seeds. The boys were troubled a lot about it, but they thought their father would never know why the seeds did not come up, because they had been cast into a hole and a great stone had covered them over so no one would ever see them. But one day a week or so after this the father was walking out again in that part of the garden and thought he noticed some little green blades pushing themselves out from beneath the stone; so he rolled away the stone and there in the hole were the little seeds trying to sprout and come up out of the dust.
He called his boys to him and showed them the sight, and they confessed their wrong-doing and promised they would never deceive him again, even to go to the greatest show on earth. So we see how their sins did not stay covered, they found their way out. So it will be with all our sins, they will find us out, and at the day of judgment will find their way out also.
The only thing that will cover sin so that it will not find us out is to put it under the Blood. There it will not find its way out, because forgiven sin is taken away to stay forever.
Open now the next pages, and you will find them pure white. The white stands for righteousness. Read Psalm 51:7: "Whiter than snow." This is the Snow Prayer. Ask the children to repeat it in concert. Read John 13:10: "Clean every whit"; this means all the black has gone, and the all white has come in its place. Only the blood of Jesus can do this. Make no effort to explain this, but quote it as a fact. It is so stated in the Bible and the Bible is true.
Now open the pages showing the green and say: "Green stands for fruitfulness, as it is the green branch which bears the leaf, blossom, and fruit, so should we bear much fruit or as the great Sankey sang in other days, 'When Jesus has found you, tell others the story'; that is what I am doing now, telling you the story and trying to bear fruit." Read Matthew 21:28, "Son, go work today in my vineyard." Read also Galatians 6:10, "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men."
Say to the children that as the pine and ivy are green all the year around and never change with the seasons, so should the Christian always be abounding in the work of the Lord. Read Galatians 6:9; "And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap if we faint not."
Now open the last pages and you will note they are both "yellow"; these pages stand for heaven, with its streets of yellow gold. These pages remind us of our eternal home, the home of the soul to which we will all go if we follow the teaching of this book. Quote John 14:2,3: "I go to prepare a place for you... I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there you may be also." Read also selections from Revelation 22.
You now say I have finished my story. It is the most wonderful story in the world, because it is the story of salvation. It is a story without words, because it is a story in colors.
Close the book, and ask the children how many colors they saw in the book. Ask them to name the colors in their proper order. Drill them in repeating the colors of the book. Then ask them to give you the meaning of each color, after this fashion: Black for sin, red for blood, white for righteousness, green for fruitfulness, yellow for heaven.
Drill them now in the meaning of the colors. When I am giving this lesson I ask some little fellow to come to the platform, and offering him the book, I say: "Would you like to have this little book as your own?" Of course, he says, "Yes," and as you offer it to him he reaches out his hand to take it, and you explain that this is just the way to receive salvation. You simply "Take it." Conclude by quoting "The Spirit and the Bride say, Come, and whosoever will let him take."
A private use may be made of this book in the devotional hour. Look at every page and read the Scripture noted, and then meditate in silence.
1The author has prepared such a book. Write to him about it in care of the publishers.
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