[Show a placard bearing, in plain letters, the words: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”]
Once there were two boys named Jack Knowitall and Will Obey. One Sunday Jack Knowitall sat down to study his lessons for Monday.
“Why,” said Will Obey, “that is not right.”
“Yes, it is,” said Jack Knowitall, “because if I did not I should not know my lessons tomorrow, and that would be wrong.”
Will Obey thought that was funny reasoning. “God wants us to know our lessons, of course,” he answered; “but one of his special commandments is that we should remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. I think he would rather we should remember that than remember our lessons.”
But Jack kept right on with his studying. The result was that the next day his brain was so worn out that he could not think at all, and Will got far ahead of him in his class, because his brain was bright and fresh after his day’s rest.
So the next Sunday Jack Knowitall thought he would try another plan. He set himself to play a game just as soon as he could on Sunday morning.
“Why, Jack!” exclaimed Will Obey, “it isn’t right to play on Sunday.”
“Why not?” said Jack defiantly.
“Because it makes Sunday too much like other days, and God wants us to serve him in other ways on that day, If suppose.”
“But this game will rest me,” insisted Jack, and went right on playing. He played hard, and when Monday came he was not rested a bit,—only very tired. And when he went to play at school it was no fun at all, for he had been playing all the day before.
Will Obey, on the other hand, enjoyed all his games immensely, because he had spent the day before quietly reading and studying about God, talking pleasantly with his dear friends, listening to good and wise people in church and Sunday school, and in other nice and helpful ways.
Now which way of keeping Sunday paid best?