s inclined to disobey their father or
mother, to be disrespectful to those who are older than they, to do
wrong on the Sabbath, to remain away from the Sunday-school and church,
and to enjoy the beautiful spring-day, by strolling through the fields
or wandering through the woods, do so, not alone because the day is
pleasant or because of the opportunities from which others turn away,
but because there is wickedness in their hearts. So when boys quarrel
and fight, or steal, or do any other thing that is wrong, it is not so
much the influences by which they are surrounded, the temptation from
without, but the wickedness and the evil and the sinfulness which there
is in the human heart, eating its way out through their heart into their
lives, and deforming their lives, which otherwise would be upright,
honorable and manly and Christ-like. I trust that when you are tempted
to do wrong you will recognize the fact that there is evil in your
heart, and that you will go to Jesus and earnestly pray Him to take away
this evil out of your heart, and to give you a new, clean heart. Just
the same as with these apples, if you had the privilege of choosing, I
am sure you would prefer the large one, which has not been spoiled
because of the destructive worm inside, so I trust you will choose to
have the good heart, which God can give you, rather than the heart that
has wickedness and sin within. If you will go to God in prayer and ask
Him, He will give you a good heart, a true heart, one that has no sin
and no wickedness within.

Questions.--Which is nicer, a big, red apple or a
little stunted one? What prevented the little
apple from growing big and beautiful? When did the
little worm get into the apple? If it had not been
for the worm in the apple, would the apple have
grown large and well formed? What causes boys and
girls to desire to do wrong? Who tempted Adam and
Eve to do wrong? Did they listen? Did they believe
God or did they believe Satan? Are boys and girls
still tempted to do wrong? Are they likely to
yield to temptation? To whom should we go when we
are tempted to do wrong? Who alone can cleanse our
hearts from sin? Should we always go and ask God
for strength when we are tempted? Which would you
choose, a good heart or a wicked heart?

Suggest to the children (o