in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:  for without me ye can do nothing.  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.  If ye abide in me, and my word abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so ye shall be my disciples.  As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you:  continue ye in my love.  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

“FIRST!”

AN ADDRESS TO BOYS.

I have three heads to give you.  The first is “Geography,” the second is “Arithmetic,” and the third is “Grammar.”

I.

First.  Geography tells us where to find places.

Where is the Kingdom of God?  It is said that when a Prussian officer was killed in the Franco-Prussian war, a map of France was very often found in his pocket.  When we wish to occupy a country, we ought to know its geography.  Now, where is the Kingdom of God?  A boy over there says, “It is in heaven.”  No; it is not in heaven.  Another boy says, “It is in the Bible.”  No; it is not in the Bible.  Another boy says, “It must be in the Church,” No; it is not in the Church.  Heaven is only the capital of the Kingdom of God; the Bible is the guide-book to it; the Church is the weekly parade of those who belong to it.  If you turn to the seventeenth chapter of Luke you will find out where the Kingdom of God really is:  “The Kingdom of God is within you”—­within you.  The Kingdom of God is inside people.

I remember once taking a walk by the river near where the Falls of Niagara are, and I noticed a remarkable figure walking along the river bank.  I had been some time in America.  I had seen black men, and red men, and yellow men, and white men; black men, the Negroes; red men, the Indians; yellow men, the Chinese; white men, the Americans.  But this man looked quite different in his dress from anything I had ever seen.  When he came a little closer, I saw he was wearing a kilt; when he came a little nearer still, I saw that he was dressed exactly like a Highland soldier.  When he came quiet near, I said to him: 

“What are you doing here?”

“Why should I not be here?” he replied; “don’t you know this is British soil?  When you cross the river you come into Canada.”

This soldier was thousands of miles from England, and yet he was in the Kingdom of England.  Wherever there is an English heart beating loyal to the Queen of Britain, there is England.  Wherever there is a boy whose heart is loyal to the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of God is within him.

What is the Kingdom of God?  Every Kingdom has its exports, its products.  Go down the river here and you will find ships coming in with cotton; you know they come from America.  You will find ships with tea; you know they are from China.  Ships with wool; you know they come from Australia.  Ships with sugar; you know they come from Java.