A Root

[0:00] The time has hastened on this evening, and we now come to the pastor's address. So I'm going to make it very brief, because of the time.

[0:16] Let's ask a question. The inevitable question, some say. What did I say last year? How many hands? How many hands?

[0:27] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. Was it to do with the air, the land, or the sea?

[0:44] Which? Sea. What was it? Stephen says an anchor. Do you all agree? Any that disagree, put your hands up.

[0:55] You all agree, I spoke to you last year about an anchor. Shortly after I'd spoken to you, one of our friends came forward with a miniature anchor.

[1:10] And you know, I was quite sorry, really, that that wasn't in my hand when I gave the address. So that, because I felt it would so beautifully illustrate what I tried to say to you last year about an anchor.

[1:30] Well now, I'm going to speak to you this evening about something else that is under the surface. An anchor is under the surface of the sea.

[1:43] But I'm going to talk to you tonight about something that's under the surface of the ground. And I wonder if I bring forward an illustration of what I'm going to say, who can tell me what goes under the ground.

[2:04] I thought last year the want of an illustration was, now you watch children, you watch. Now what is it that goes under the ground?

[2:16] What is it? Let's have one of these girls. Yes? A root.

[2:26] That's what I wanted. Look at that root. Isn't that wonderful? And that's the part that goes under the ground while we see this part above the ground.

[2:37] Do you see that wonderful illustration of a root? When I saw that at home just before Christmas, I said to my wife, now I want that, that I might illustrate what I hope to talk to the children about as this subject has been up in my mind.

[2:57] Well now, a root is very, very important, isn't it? We couldn't think of the flower, could we? Without a root.

[3:09] I want to hasten to consider a root as the scripture speaks of a root. And the scripture always insists upon the importance of a root.

[3:23] because you remember in the part that Hazel read to us, the part of the word of God from Mark's Gospel, chapter 4, the parable of the sower, there was seed that fell in stony places.

[3:37] And it said, and when the sun was up, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away.

[3:49] And you see, when persecution and affliction came to them, because they had no root, the sun scorched them up, and they withered away.

[4:07] So that we realize how important it is to have a root, a root religion. Job, in the 19th chapter of his book and the 28th verse, asked this question, why persecute we him seeing the root of the matter is found in me?

[4:36] The root of the matter. What is that matter? It's the matter of a good religion, a God-given religion. religion. And Job had that good religion.

[4:47] He had a root to his religion. God had given him that root and he says, the root of the matter is found in me. You know, we don't just want a surface profession, we want a rooted religion, that is, religion rooted in our hearts by God, the Holy Ghost.

[5:10] well then in Isaiah's prophecy we have two references to roots. In the 27th chapter and the 6th verse, he shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root.

[5:26] Israel shall blossom and bud and fill the face of the world with fruit. So God was promised to cause his people to take root.

[5:40] And then in the 37th chapter of Isaiah and verse 31, we have this, and the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward.

[5:56] You see, the taking root downward and the bearing fruit upward. We can't think of fruit if we don't think of root.

[6:10] And the roots essential to the fruit. Well then when we come into the New Testament we have two references that I'm going to speedily refer to and I feel I can hardly do justice to this subject for want of time that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith and this is a prayer for you children constantly made by your teachers and your pastor that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ then in Colossians we have this as ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him rooted and built up in him so there are many references in the scripture to a root and we do need a root yes we do need a root and I hope children you will think upon this and that you will look into the word of

[7:31] God and appreciate the teaching of that word that speaks of a root to the religion as well as the fruit of a religion we need the root of religion in our hearts as Job puts it the root of the matter I conclude by repeating a verse of Joseph Hart faith implanted from above will prove a fertile root whence will spring a tree of love producing precious fruit now I hope you'll think about what I say we had the anchor last year we've had the root this year the anchor was beneath the sea hidden yet essential to hold the ship the root is beneath the surface of the ground but essential to feed the tree or the plant that it may grow and become fruitful whether in sending up a blossom as this illustration before us this evening or whether with the tree feeding the tree that it may bring forth fruit whether apples or plums or oranges or pears or whatever else in this land or other lands is the fruit of a tree and I hope that our religion yours and mine may be a religion with a root that brings forth fruit to the glory of the Lord so

[9:16] I hasten from these my remarks this evening to now the closing hymn which is hymn number 60 hymn number 60 that's the third hymn on the hymn sheet there's not a tint that paints the rose nor decks the lily fair nor streaks the humblest flower that blows but God has placed it there there the greatness that big from on top n r under on

[10:18] Gian Phi Love holes and說oris s Thank you.

[11:01] Thank you.

[11:31] Thank you. Thank you.

[12:31] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[12:43] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[12:55] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. in an orderly fashion, a quiet way, and receive these sweets and chocolates provided by kind friends for you to take away with you this evening.

[13:15] So after prayer and the benediction, come forward. Now dear Lord, we come to the close of this another annual prize-giving occasion.

[13:30] We pray that thou wilt bless the things that have been read and sung and recited and spoken. We ask, O Lord, that we'll continue thy favours and mercies to us as a Sunday school.

[13:48] And O grant that as we receive the word, that word may fall into good ground, that we may have a root to our religion, and that shall enable us to stand all the trials that come upon it, rooted in Christ Jesus, and made possessors of his glory forever.

[14:10] Forgive, O Lord, our every sin. Remember each before thee. And bless us and our absent friends who doubtless think toward us are here this evening.

[14:26] May the grace of the Lord Jesus, the love of God, the fellowship and communion of the Holy Spirit rest upon us and abide with us, now and forevermore.

[14:40] Amen. Amen. Amen.

[14:53] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[15:04] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Am I, amen. Amen.