A CHRISTIAN was passing along the streets of P—, where several children were playing about in front of their parents’ cottages, when he overheard one, quite a little fellow, say to another, still smaller than himself, “Jesus is up in heaven.”
“Is He,” replied the other, “where?” And as he said the words looked up off his play, and gazed towards the sky, as though expecting to see Him.
Pleased with the children’s remarks, the passer-by stopped, and said to the elder, “And do you love Jesus, my little man?”
“Yes,” was the unhesitating reply. “And does Jesus love you?”
“When I’m good.”
“When you are good. Does He not love you when you are naughty?”
“No.”
“Does your mother love you?”
“Yes, when I’m good.”
“But does she not love you when you are naughty?”
“No, she scolds me.”
“Scolds you, eh! Well, if you are naughty, you deserve scolding, but I think she loves you when you are naughty as well as when you are good. It’s the naughty ways that mother does not love. And so it is with Jesus, He loves little children, whether they are good or naughty, but He does not love their naughty ways.”
The dear boy, a bright, intelligent little fellow, listened with marked attention to all that was said to him, apparently deeply interested, and struck by something that he had never heard before.
“And where did you learn to love Jesus?”
“At the Sunday-school at S—.”
“Well, now, don’t forget what you have heard, that mother loves you whether good or naughty, but does not love your naughty ways. Goodbye.”
“And Jesus the same,” cried opt the dear boy, as though he quite entered into it all.
“Yes, that’s right, Jesus the same. Goodbye.”
And now, my dear young readers, it is time for me to ask you the question, “Do you love Jesus?” How do you reply? Yes,” or No?” Perhaps some little one says, “I would like to love Him.” Think, then, dear child, of His love to you. Think of that precious Saviour, who came into this world, and who rebuked His disciples when they sought to hinder the poor women bringing their dear little ones to Him. “Suffer little children,” said Jesus, “and forbid them not, to come unto Me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven,” and taking them up in His loving arms, blessed them. (Matt. 19:1414But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 19:14); Mark 10:1616And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. (Mark 10:16).) Would not you like to have been one? Do you think you are not good enough? Jesus did not say anything about the children being good or bad, but took them up just as they were.
It is because we are all naughty and bad that we need a Saviour. And the moment you believe on Him, His precious blood will take away your sin, and you will be safe in His love (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)).
Many mothers tell their children that Jesus will not love them unless they are good, and thus teach them self-righteousness from their early infancy. The Bible tells us, “There is none that doeth good, no not one,” (Rom. 3:1212They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Romans 3:12)). So that, dear children, if you wait until you are good enough, you will never come, as the little hymn tells us,
“If you tarry till you are better
You will never come at all.”
Come then now, dear little one, to Jesus, just as you are.
ML 09/18/1904