CHAPTER XXVIII

PULLING OUT THE NAIL HOLES=

_Objects: A Small Size Post or Board. Hammer and Nails_

PULLING OUT THE NAIL HOLES

HERE is a story so old that it is new. That is, it is new to this generation. It is about a post that may be a pulpit or a lesson desk, and from it they may hear a loud message proclaimed. This is the story.--Many years ago when Grandpa was young, just like you, his mother told him a story about a boy that did wrong things, told falsehoods, and used bad words. His mother, in order to cause him to see how ugly sin was, and what a bad scar it left in the heart, drove a nail into a post for every evil word he spoke. By and by there were a large number of nails in the post and it looked very ugly and he felt just a little ashamed of his deeds being shown up this way. So he went to his mother and said he was very sorry, and promised he would try not to say bad words any more if she would pull all the nails out. This she agreed to do on the following terms: For every good word or deed, he would say or do, she would pull out one nail. After trying real hard he saw the nails come out one by one, at last they were all out, but he noticed the holes left by the nails, and wanted his mother to pull them out also, which, of course she could not do. This taught the boy a lesson, that even good deeds could not erase the scars evil deeds left behind them. His father said, however, if he continued to be good, he would fill all the holes up with a paint filler, and recoat the post with fresh paint, and it would like quite like new, and right again. After his father had given the post a number of coats of fresh paint, the scars all disappeared, and the little boy never forgot the lesson when he looked at the bright, fresh post.

Now, secure a fair sized post or board. Have it nicely planed and painted, if possible, polished, so it will present a finished appearance. Take now a hammer and nail and drive one in, at short distances, at every evil deed mentioned. He told a lie--drive in a nail. He said a swear word--drive in a nail. He stole a book--drive in a nail, and so continue this operation until there are fifteen or twenty nails driven in. "How shall I get rid of my sins?" Let us see. For every good word said, pull out a nail and continue in this fashion until the nails are extracted. But good works will not blot out our evil deeds, for you notice that the nail holes are there. We cannot pull the nail holes out, the scar of sin is left, The only way the scar can be blotted out is by the planing off of the board, or filling up the nail holes, or better still, get a new piece of board. So God must give us a new heart, and this He will do if we pray "Create in me a new heart, O God."

=