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When you see a boy on the street whipping a top； you know； perhaps；
that you could not make that boy happier than by giving him a top；
a whip； and half an hour to whip it。 But next birthday； when he
looks back he says；
〃What a goose I was last year to be delighted with a top。 What I
want now is a baseball bat。〃
Then when he becomes an old man； he does not care in the least for
a baseball bat； he wants rest； and a snug fireside and a newspaper
every day。 He wonders how he could ever have taken up his thoughts
with baseball bats and whipping…tops。
Now； when a boy becomes a Christian； he grows out of the evil
things one by onethat is to say； if they are really evilwhich
he used to set his heart upon； （of course I do not mean baseball
bats； for they are not evils）； and so instead of telling people to
give up things； we are safer to tell them to 〃seek first the Kingdom
of God；〃 and then they will get new things and better things； and
The old things will drop off
of themselves。 This is what is meant by the 〃new heart。〃 It means
that God puts into us new thoughts and new wishes； and we become
quite different。
III。
Lastly； and very shortly。 What was the third head？ 〃Grammar。〃
Right。
Now； I require a clever boy to answer the next question。 What
is the verb？ 〃Seek。〃 Very good： 〃seek。〃 What mood is it in？
〃Imperative mood。〃 What does that mean？ 〃A command。〃 What is
the soldier's first lesson？ 〃Obedience。〃 Have you obeyed this
command？ Remember the imperative mood of these words； 〃SEEK first
the Kingdom of God。〃
This is the command of your King。 It MUST be done。 I have been
trying to show you what a splendid thing it is； what a reasonable
thing it is； what a happy thing it is； but beyond all these reasons；
it is a thing that MUST be done； because we are COMMANDED to do
it by our Captain。 Now； there is His command to seek FIRST the
Kingdom of God。 Have you done it？
〃Well；〃 I know some boys will say； 〃we are going to have a good
time； enjoy life； and then we are going to seekLASTthe Kingdom
of God。〃
Now； that is mean； it is nothing else than mean for a boy to take
all the good gifts that God has given him； and then give him nothing
back in return but
His wasted life。
God wants boys' LIVES； not only their souls。 It is for active；
service that soldiers are drilled； and trained； and fed； and armed。
That is why you and I are in the world at allnot to prepare to
go out of it some day； but to serve God actively in it NOW。 It
is monstrous； and shameful； and cowardly to talk of seeking the
Kingdom LAST。 It is shirking duty； abandoning one's rightful post；
playing into the enemy's hand by doing nothing to turn his flank。
Every hour a Kingdom is coming in your heart； in your home； in the
world near you； be it a Kingdom of Darkness or a Kingdom of Light。
You are placed where you are； in a particular business； in a
particular street； to help on there the Kingdom of God。 You cannot
do that when you are old and ready to die。 By that time your
companions will have fought their fight； and lost or won。 If they
lose； will you not be sorry that you did not help them？ Will you
not regret that only at the last you helped the Kingdom of God？
Perhaps you will not be able to do it then。 And then your life
has been lost indeed。
Very few people have the opportunity to seek the Kingdom of God
at the end。 Christ； knowing all that； knowing that religion was
a thing for our life； not merely for our death…bed； has laid this
command upon us now： 〃Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God。〃
I am going to leave you with this text itself。 Every boy in the
world should obey it。
Boys； before you go to work to…morrow； before you go to sleep
to…night； resolve that； God helping you； you are going to seek
FIRST the Kingdom of God。 Perhaps some boys here are deserters；
they began once before to serve Christ； and they deserted。 Come
back again； come back again today！ Others have never enlisted at
all。 Will you not do it now？ You are old enough to decide。 The
grandest moment of a boy's life is that moment when he decides to
〃SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD。〃
The Changed Life： The Greatest Need of the World。
God is all for quality； man is for quantity。 The immediate need
of the world at this moment is not more of us； but； if I may use
the expression； a better brand of us。 To secure ten men of an
improved type would be better than if we had ten thousand more of
the average Christians distributed all over the world。 There is
such a thing in the evangelistic sense as winning the whole world
and losing our own soul。 And the first consideration of our
own lifeour own spiritual relations to Godour own likeness to
Christ。 And I am anxious； briefly； to look at the right and the
wrong way of becoming like Christof becoming better men： the
right and the wrong way of sanctification。
Let me begin by naming； and in part discarding some processes in
vogue already for producing better lives。 These processes are far
from wrong； in their place they may even be essential。 One ventures
to disparage them only because they do not turn out the most perfect
possible work。
1。 The first imperfect method is to rely on
Resolution。
In will power； in mere spasms of earnestness； there is no salvation。
Struggle； effort； even agony； have their place in Christianity； as
we shall see； but this is not where they come in。
In mid…Atlantic the Etruria； in which I was sailing； suddenly
stopped。 Something had gone wrong with the engines。 There were
five hundred able…bodied men on board the ship。 Do you think that
if we had gathered together and pushed against the mast we could
have pushed it on？
When one attempts to sanctify himself by effort； he is trying to
make his boat go by pushing against the mast。 He is like a drowning
man trying to lift himself out of the water by pulling at the hair
of his own head。
Christ held up this method almost to ridicule when He said； 〃Which
of you by taking thought can add a cubit to his stature？〃 Put down
that method forever as being futile。
The one redeeming feature of the self…sufficient method is thisthat
those who try it find out almost at once that it will not gain the
goal。
2。 Another experimenter says： 〃But that is not my method。 I have
seen the folly of a mere wild struggle in the dark。 I work on a
principle。 My plan is not to waste power on random effort； but to
concentrate on a single sin。 By taking
One at a time
and crucifying it steadily； I hope in the end to extirpate all。〃
To this； unfortunately； there are four objections： For one thing；
life is too short； the name of sin is legion。 For another thing；
to deal with individual sins is to leave the rest of the nature
for the time untouched。 In the third place； a single combat with
a special sin does not affect the root and spring of the disease。
If you dam up a stream at one place； it will simply overflow higher
up。 If only one of the channels of sin be obstructed； experience
points to an almost certain overflow through some other part of the
nature。 Partial conversion is almost always accompanied by such
moral leakage； for the pent…up energies accumulate to the bursting
point； and the last state of that soul may be worse than the
first。 In the last place； religion does not consist in negatives；
in stopping this sin and stopping that。 The perfect character can
never be produced with a pruning knife。
3。 But a third protests： 〃So be it。 I make no attempt to stop
sins one by one。 My method is just the opposite。
I copy the virtues
one by one。〃
The difficulty about the copying method is that it is apt to be
mechanical。 One can always tell an engraving from a picture； an
artificial flower from a real flower。 To copy virtues one by one
has somewhat the same effect as eradicating the vices one by one；
the temporary result is an overbalanced and incongruous character。
Some one defines a PRIG as 〃a creature that is over…fed for its
size。〃 One sometimes finds Christians of this speciesover…fed
on one side of their nature； but dismally thin and starved looking
on the other。 The result； for instance； of copying Humility； and
adding it on to an otherwise worldly life； is simply grotesque。 A
rabid temperance advocate； for the same reason； is often the poorest
of creatures； flourishing on a single virtue； and quite oblivious
that his Temperance is making a worse man of him and not a better。
These are examples of fine virtues spoiled by association with
mean companions。 Character is a unity； and all the virtues must
advance together to make the perfect man。
This method of sanctification； nevertheless； is in the true direction。
It is only in the details of execution that it fails。