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is　a　kingdom　of　brothers。　　It　is　a　great　Society；　founded　by　Jesus

Christ；　of　all　the　people　who　try　to　live　like　Him；　and　to　make　the

world　better　and　sweeter　and　happier。　　Wherever　　boy　is　trying　to

do　that；　in　the　house　or　on　the　street；　in　the　workshop　or　on　the

baseball　field；　there　is　the　Kingdom　of　God。　　And　every　boy；　however

small　or　obscure　or　poor；　who　is　seeking　that；　is　a　member　of　it。

You　see　now；　I　hope；　what　the　Kingdom　is。



II。



I　pass；　therefore；　to　the　second　head；　What　was　it？　　Arithmetic。

Are　there　any　arithmetic　words　in　this　text？　　〃Added。〃　　What　other

arithmetic　words？　　〃First。〃



Now；　don't　you　think　you　could　not　have　anything　better　to　seek

〃first〃　than　the　things　I　have　named　to　do　what　is　right；　to　live

at　peace；　and　be　always　making　those　about　you　happy？　　You　see　at

once　why　Christ　tells　us　to　seek　these　things　firstbecause　they

are



The　best　worth　seeking。



Do　you　know　anything　better　than　these　three　things；　anything

happier；　purer；　nobler？　　If　you　do；　seek　them　first。　　But　if　you

do　not；　seek　first　the　Kingdom　of　God。　　I　do　not　tell　you　to　be

religious。　　You　know　that。　　I　do　not　tell　you　to　seek　the　Kingdom

of　God。　　I　tell　you　to　seek　the　Kingdom　of　God　FIRST。　　FIRST。

Not　many　people　do　that。　　They　put　a　little　religion　into　their

lifeonce　a　week；　perhaps。　　They　might　just　as　well　let　it　alone。

It　is　not　worth　seeking　the　Kingdom　of　God　unless　we　seek　it　FIRST。



Suppose　you　take　the　helm　out　of　a　ship　and　hang　it　over　the　bow；

and　send　that　ship　to　sea；　will　it　ever　reach　the　other　side？

Certainly　not。　　It　will　drift　about　anyhow。　　Keep　religion　in　its

place；　and　it　will　take　you　straight　through　life　and　straight　to

your　Father　in　heaven　when　life　is　over。　　But　if　you　do　not　put

it　in　its　place；　you　may　just　as　well　have　nothing　to　do　with　it。

Religion　out　of　its　place　in　a　human　life　is　the　most　miserable

thing　in　the　world。　　There　is　nothing　that　requires　so　much　to　be

kept　in　its　place　as　religion；　and　its　place　is　what？　second？　third？

〃First。〃　　Boys；　FIRST　the　Kingdom　of　God；　make　it　so　that　it　will

be　natural　to　you　to　think　about　that　the　very　first　thing。



There　was　a　boy　in　Glasgow　apprenticed　to　a　gentleman　who　made

telegraphs。　　（The　gentleman　told　me　this　himself。）　　One　day　this

boy　was　up　on　the　top　of　a　four…story　house　with　a　number　of　men

fixing　up　a　telegraph　wire。　　The　work　was　all　but　done。　　It　was

getting　late；　and　the　men　said　they　were　going　away　home；　and　the

boy　was　to　nip　off　the　ends　of　the　wire　himself。　　Before　going

down　they　told　him　to　be　sure　to　go　back　to　the　workshop；　when　he

was　finished；　with　his　master's　tools。



〃Do　not　leave　any　of　them　lying　about；　whatever　you　do；〃　said　the

foreman。



The　boy　climbed　up　the　pole　and　began　to　nip　off　the　ends　of　the

wire。　　It　was　a　very　cold　winter　night；　and　the　dusk　was　gathering。

He　lost　his　hold　and　fell　upon　the　slates；　slid　down；　and　then

over　and　over　to　the　ground　below。　　A　clothes…rope　stretched　across

the　〃green〃　on　which　he　was　just　about　to　fall；　caught　him　on　the

chest　and　broke　his　fall；　but　the　shock　was　terrible；　and　he　lay

unconscious　among　some　clothes　upon　the　green。



An　old　woman　came　out；　seeing　her　rope　broken　and　the　clothes　all

soiled；　thought　the　boy　was　drunk；　shook　him；　scolded　him；　and

went　for　the　policeman。　　The　boy　with　the　shaking　came　back　to

consciousness；　rubbed　his　eyes；　and　got　back　on　his　feet。　　What　do

you　think　he　did？　　He　staggered；　half…blind；　up　the　stairs。　　He

climbed　the　ladder。　　He　got　on　to　the　roof　of　the　house。　　He　gathered

up　his　tools；　put　them　into　his　basket；　took　them　down；　and　when

he　got　to　the　ground　again　fainted　dead　away。



Just　then　the　policeman　came；　saw　there　was　something　seriously

wrong；　and　carried　him　away　to　the　hospital；　where　he　lay　for　some

time。　　I　am　glad　to　say　he　got　better。



What　was　his　first　thought　at　that　terrible　moment？　　His　duty。

He　was　not　thinking　of　himself；　he　was　thinking　about　his　master。

First；　the　Kingdom　of　God。



But　there　is　another　arithmetic　word。　　What　is　it？　　〃Added。〃



You　know　the　difference　between　ADDITION　and　SUBTRACTION。　　Now；

that　is



A　very　important　difference



in　religion；　becauseand　it　is　a　very　strange　thingvery　few

people　know　the　difference　when　they　begin　to　talk　about　religion。

They　often　tell　boys　that　if　they　seek　the　Kingdom　of　God；　everything

else　is　going　to　be　SUBTRACTED　from　them。　　They　tell　them　that　they

are　going　to　become　gloomy；　miserable；　and　will　lose　everything

that　makes　a　boy's　life　worth　livingthat　they　will　have　to　stop

baseball　and　story…books；　and　become　little　old　men；　and　spend　all

their　time　in　going　to　meetings　and　in　singing　hymns。



Now；　that　is　not　true。　　Christ　never　said　anything　like　that。

Christ　said　we　are　to　〃Seek　first　the　Kingdom　of　God；〃　and



Everything　else　worth　having



is　to　be　ADDED　unto　us。　　If　there　is　anything　I　would　like　you　to

remember；　it　is　these　two　arithmetic　words〃first〃　and　〃added。〃



I　do　not　mean　by　〃added〃　that　if　you　become　religious　you　are　all

going　to　become　RICH。　　Here　is　a　boy；　who；　in　sweeping　out　the

shop　tomorrow；　finds　a　quarter　lying　among　the　orange　boxes。　　Well；

nobody　has　missed　it。　　He　puts　it　in　his　pocket；　and　it　begins　to

burn　a　hole　there。　　by　breakfast　time　he　wishes　that　money　were

in　his　master's　pocket。　　And　by…and…by　he　goes　to　his　master。　　He

says　（to　HIMSELF；　and　not　to　his　master）；　〃I　was　at　the　Boys'　Brigade

yesterday　and　I　was　told　to　seek　FIRST　that　which　was　right。〃　　Then

he　says　to　his　master：



〃Please；　sir；　here　is　a　quarter　that　I　found　upon　the　floor。〃



The　master　puts　it　in　the　till。　　What　has　the　boy　got　in　his　pocket？

Nothing；　BUT　HE　HAS　GOT　THE　KINGDOM　OF　GOD　IN　HIS　HEART。　　He　has

laid　up　treasure　in　heaven；　which　is　of　infinitely　more　worth　than

the　quarter。



Now；　that　boy　does　not　find　a　dollar　on　his　way　home。　　I　have　known

that　to　happen；　but　that　is　not　what　is　meant　by　〃adding。〃　　It　does

not　mean　that　God　is　going　to　pay　him　in　his　own　coin；　for　He　pays

in　better　coin。



Yet　I　remember　once　hearing　of　a　boy　who　was　paid　in　both　ways。

He　was　very；　very　poor。　　He　lived　in　a　foreign　country；　and　his

mother　said　to　him　one　day　that　he　must　go　into　the　great　city　and

start　in　business；　and　she　took　his　coat　and　cut　it　open　and　sewed

between　the　lining　and　the　coat　forty　golden　dinars；　which　she　had

saved　up　for　many　years　to　start　him　in　life。　　She　told　him　to　take

care　of　robbers　as　he　went　across　the　desert；　and　as　he　was　going

out　of　the　door　she　said：



〃My　boy；　I　have　only　two　words　for　you'Fear　God；　and　never　tell

a　lie。'〃



The　boy　started　off；　and　towards　evening　he　saw　glittering　in　the

distance　the　minarets　of　the　great　city。　　But　between　the　city　and

himself　he　saw　a　cloud　of　dust。　　It　came　nearer。　　Presently　he　saw

that　it　was　a　band　of　robbers。



One　of　the　robbers　left　the　rest　and　rode　toward　him；　and　said：



〃Boy；　what　have　you　got？〃



The　boy　looked　him　in　the　face　and　said：



〃I　have　forty　golden　dinars　sewed　up　in　my　coat。〃



The　robber　laughed　and　wheeled　around　his　horse　and　went　away　back。

He　would　not　believe　the　boy。



Presently　another　robber　came　and　he　said：



〃Boy；　what　have　you　got？〃



〃Forty　golden　dinars　sewed　up　in　my　coat。〃



The　robber　said：　　〃The　boy　is　a　fool；〃　and　wheeled　his　horse　and

rode　away　back。



By　and　by　the　robber　captain　came　and　he　said：



〃Boy；　what　have　you　got？〃



〃I　have　forty　golden　dinars　sewed　up　in　my　coat。〃



The　robber　dismounted；　and　put　his　hand　over　the　boy's　breast；

felt　something　round；　counted　one；　two；　three；　four；　five；　till　he

counted　out　the　forty　golden　coins。　　He　looked　the　boy　in　the　face

and　said：



〃Why　did　you　tell　me　that？〃



The　boy　said：　　〃Because　of　God　and　my　mother。〃



The　robber　leaned　on　his　spear　and　thought　and　said：



〃Wait　a　moment。〃



He　mounted　his　horse；　rode　back　to　the　rest　of　the　robbers；　and

came　back　in　about　five　minutes　with　his　dress　changed。　　This　time

he　looked　not　like　a　robber；　but　like　a　merchant。　　He　took　the　boy

up　on　his　horse　and　said：



〃My　boy；　I　have　long　wanted　to　do　something　for　my　God　and　for　my

mother；　and　I　have　this　moment　renounced　my　robber's　life。　　I　am

also　a　merchant。　　I　have　a　large　business　house　in　the　city。　　I

want　you　to　come　and　live　with　me；　to　teach　me　about　your　God；　and

you　will　be　rich；　and　your　mother　some　day　will　come　and　live　with

us。〃



And　it　all　happened。　　By　seeing　first　the　Kingdom　of　God；　all　these

things　were　added　unto　him。



Boys；　banish　forever　from　your　minds　the　idea　that　religion　is

SUBTRACTION。　　It　does　not　tell　us　to　give　things　up；　but　rather

gives　us　something　so　much　better　that　they　give　themselves　up。

When　you　see　a　boy　on　the　street　whipping　a　top；　you　know；　perhaps；

that　you　could　not　make　that　boy　happier　tha