I have here what are commonly known as Chinese lilies. Two weeks ago they were only two or three inches high. Now they are between two and three feet. How rapidly they have grown! I How can we account for it? I can give one reason. It is because they had adequate preparation. The bulbs from which these lilies grew were kept in the dark for ten days. There, in the dark, they stored up strength and energy for the work that was before them. Many years of our Saviour's life were spent in obscurity. They were years when, as far as the world is concerned, he was in the dark, preparing for the great work of his public ministry. My dear young people, do not be fretful over the days and years you have to go to school. They are not simply days of waiting, they are days of preparation. Again, these lilies come from dark and humble surroundings. Here is a very plain dish. In the dish are a few ordinary stones; picked up in our yard. Water is poured upon the stones. Among these stones the lily bulbs take root. Girls and boys, it does not matter a great deal what sort of a home you have, if only it is a good home. John Wesley's youth was hid away in a poor Methodist parsonage. Abraham Lincoln was born and grew up in the dark and humble surroundings of a log cabin. Our Saviour himself was born in a manger, and his boyhood home was far from being a palace. Make the best of what you have and all will be well. God will take care of you and bring you out of the darkness. How fragrant these lilies are! Faith, hope, love, patience, strength and truth, these fragrant qualities of life often grow best in the dark. May our good Father make your life fragrant is my prayer. MEMORY VERSE, _Psalm_ 139: 12 "Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee." MEMORY HYMN [460] _"Lead, kindly light."_ THE STILL SMALL VOICE What is the loudest noise you ever heard? Did you ever hear an immense cannon fired? Of course you have heard thunder. The loudest, most terrifying noise I ever heard was a boiler explosion. The town heating plant was only three doors from my home. The whole plant blew up one prayer meeting evening. The church building was plunged into darkness, the walls shook, windows were broken on every side. In terror people got down on their knees and crept toward the door. That was the loudest noise I ever heard.